News You Can Use: Ohio backs down from paid sick leave

Following aggressive opposition from employers and a lack of support from the governor, Ohioans for Healthy Families have pulled a November ballot initiative that would have allowed voters to decide whether to make the state the first to mandate paid sick leave.

The Healthy Families Act would have required employers with 25 or more workers to provide full-time workers at least seven paid sick days each year. Part-time workers would have received a prorated benefit as well. However, employer groups launched a major offensive to the bill and Gov. Ted Strickland (D) said he would not support it.

According to reporting in Workforce Management, 43% of U.S. private sector workers and 42% of Ohio workers, do not have paid sick leave.