Action for Children works to ensure working parents can care for their sick or injured children without losing employment or wages. The Paid Sick Days Coalition advocates requiring North Carolina employers to provide employees with at least seven paid sick days per year to allow them to care for themselves or a family member when illness or injury strikes. Currently, no federal or state law requires that employees be provided with paid sick leave, and 1.6 million working North Carolinians – 42% of the work force – are without this important benefit.

Research shows that providing workers with paid sick days allows the ill to recover more quickly, lowers health care costs for workers and employers, reduces employee absences, improves retention and increases productivity.

Share Your Story about Paid Sick Days

Tell us your personal story bout why you need to earn paid sick days. Voice your prior experiences on the job -- good, bad, or outrageous! The NC Paid Sick Days Campaign will not give out your name or contact information to anyone without your permission. Does any of the following apply to you or someone you know?

• Have you been forced to tell an employer that you were sick in order to take a paid sick day for a family member's illness?
• Have you been fired for taking off work to care for yourself or a loved one?
• Do you take care of a child, spouse or parent with a chronic condition and find it difficult to manage because you cannot take a paid sick day off work?
• Have you missed regular medical check-ups because you couldn't take the time off work?
• Have you become ill because co-workers come to work sick instead of taking a paid day off?

Contact Louisa Warren at the NC Justice Center to share your experiences and help get paid sick days in North Carolina. Call (919) 856-2183 or email louisa@ncjustice.org.