Stupid Idea: Government-Mandated Sick Pay For Workers

A House Democrat wants to mandate sick pay for employers. Because nothing says “job growth” like saddling the people doing the hiring with yet another burdensome government mandate.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. employers who tell workers to stay home when they are sick will have to give them paid time off for up to five days under new federal legislation proposed on Tuesday.
The emergency law would cover pandemic H1N1 flu or any other infectious disease, said California Representative George Miller, a Democrat who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee and who introduced the bill.
“Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn’t have to choose between their livelihood, and their co-workers’ or customers’ health,” Miller said.
“This will not only protect employees, but it will save employers money by ensuring that sick employees don’t spread infection to co-workers and customers, and will relieve the financial burden on our health system swamped by those suffering from H1N1.”

So not only are employers faced with the lost productivity of employees staying at home they’re also going to be forced to pay for work not done.
All jobs are a mutually-beneficial arrangement. Employees agree to work for employers based on a pre-arranged compensation agreement. If an employee doesn’t want or need sick days they shouldn’t have to take them. If a business doesn’t want to offer sick days it shouldn’t have to.
These are the sort of government mandates that stagnate job growth and economic development in America.
But what’s more, even if you agree that employers should be forced to provide sick pay, that’s something that can and should be solved on the state level. Not by the federal government.