Virginia’s home healthcare workers celebrate new paid sick leave

On July 1, home healthcare workers serving Medicaid patients will be eligible for 40 hours of paid sick leave per year.

PROBABLY ASKED THEMSELVES...DO YOU STAY HOME IF YOU'RESICK...OR STAY HOME ANDRECOVER.OFTEN TIMES, HEALTHCAREWORKERS DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TOCALL OUT...SINCE MANY OFTHEM DON'T HAVE PAID SICK LEAVE.<JIB TO 9 MO NBUT THAT HASJUST CHANGED.OUR BRENDANKING IS LIVE TO EXPLAIN.IM TOLD THIS IS AN HISTORIC DAYINVIRGINIA - HOME HEALTHCAREWORKERS WHO SACRIFICED SO MUCHDURING THIS PANDEMIC ARENOW ELIGIBLE FOR SICK PAIDLEAVE.ANEW THAT LAW THAT WILL IMPACTABOUT 30,000 VIRGINIANSWE PROVIDE THE CARE THAT KEEPSTHE STATE AFLOAT THOMASINEWILSON KNOWS SACRIFICEFIRSTHAND UNTIL NOW, WE'VE HADNO OPTIONBUT TO KEEP GOING, KEEP WORKINGAND KEEP PUSHINGEVEN WHEN WE WERE SICK, INJUREDOR TOTALLYEXHAUSTED TUESDAY WILSON STOODBEHIND GOVERNOR RALPHNORTHAM AS HE SIGNED HOUSE BILL2137 FINALLY GRANTING HOMEHEALTHCARE WOERKRS SERVINGMEDICAID PATIENTSWITH 40 HOURS OF PAID SICK LEAVENOBODY IN VIRGINIA SHOULD HAVETO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIRHEALTH AND A PAYCHECK THEY CANTAKE TIME OFF IF THEY NEED ITWITHOUT WORRYING ABOUTLOSS WAGES THE ORIGINAL HOUSEBILL WOULD HAVE INCLUDEDMORE ESSENTIAL WORKERS - LIKEGROCERY STORE EMPLOYEES, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AND FARMWORKERS.A LAST-MINUTE CHANGE BY SENATEDEMOCRATS DID NOT WANT TO IMPOSEA MANDATE ON PRIVATEBUSINESSES ARE YOUDISAPPOINTED THAT DIND'T HAPPENTODAY?THINGS HAPPEN IN SMALL STEPSHEREIN RICHMOND SOMIETME - WHILETHIS IS A SMALL STEP.I REALLYTHINK THIS IS A LARGE STEP.ITHINK IT WILL SET THE PRECEDENTFOR THE RIGHT THING TO DO ISNORTHAM SAYS HE SUPPORTS PAIDSICK LEAVE FOR ESSENTIAL ANDNON ESSENTIAL WORKERS - SOVIRGINIANS DONT HAVE TO GO TOWORK SICK YOU HAVE TO HAVECOMPASSIONPEOPLE AND LOVING PERSON, ANDPTIAENCE, SO PATIENTTHE GRANDMOTHER OF FIVE SHAREDWITH ME HOW THIS BILLWILL IMPACT HER LIFE - AFTERWORKING AS A HOME HEALTHCAREWORKER FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADESIT MEANS HALLEULEUA IFINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKECARE OF ME, HAV ESOME TIME OFFAND KNOW YOU'D BE PAID WHILEYOU'RE OFF, BECAUSE IF YOUTAKE OFF 5 DAYS THAT'S A WHOLEPACHYECKWORKERS LIKE WILSON WILL NOWRECEIVE FIVE PAID SICK DAYSWHICH EQUATES TO 40 HOURS AYEAR.THE NEW BILL WILL GO INTO EFFECTON JULY FIRST.WORKING FOR YOUIN RICHMOND IM BK CBS SIX NEWS