Sick Children, Working Moms (The Nation)

Sick Children, Working Moms
Ellen Bravo


This article also appears on Barbara Ehrenreich's blog.

Teachers tell researchers they've never seen so many children coming to school sick. Guilt-ridden mothers share stories of sending ailing kids to day care or school out of fear that staying home with them would result in discipline on the job.

These stories don't surprise me. But what was startling was hearing how many kids drag themselves to school sick to keep a parent from losing pay or getting fired.

I first became aware of this three years ago at a 9to5 leadership conference in Washington, DC. Members were getting ready to tell their elected officials why they need paid sick days--something half the workforce, and three-quarters of low-wage women, do not have. For these workers, staying home to care for one's own illness or a sick family member could mean not only loss of pay, but loss of a job.

First I stopped by the group from Wisconsin and heard Robbie Bickerstaff describe how her son Eric, then age 7, got hit by a car on the way home from school but chose not to tell her for fear she'd lose her second-shift job if she didn't go in to work. Later an older sibling called her to say that Eric was crying because his arm hurt from being hit by the car and she had to take him to the hospital. When Robbie informed her boss, he was adamant: "Leave and you're fired." Her pleas didn't move him. She did leave; she was fired. Eric turned out to have a broken arm. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070625/bravo

Another excerpt from the article:

"My son had stopped eating," Christina said. "He thought it would save on groceries."

Was the child food insecure or simply hungry?

What a wonderful America the bushes have created. Maybe they should just send those lazy children to work. :sarcasm:

says employers have to let employees off for family emergencies.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/statutes/whd/fmla.htm#SEC_101_DEFINITIONS
# (2) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE.--

* (A) IN GENERAL.--The term "eligible employee" means an employee who has been employed
o (i) for at least 12 months by the employer with respect to whom leave is requested under section 102; and
o (ii) for at least 1,250 hours of service with such employer during the previous 12-month period.
* (B) EXCLUSIONS.--The term "eligible employee" does not include
o (i) any Federal officer or employee covered under subchapter V of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code (as added by title II of this Act); or
o (ii) any employee of an employer who is employed at a worksite at which such employer employs less than 50 employees if the total number of employees employed by that employer within 75 miles of that worksite is less than 50.

By having just these two above exclusions in this law it is of no good to many workers.

I know that my Mother was not eligible for FMLA even though she worked for the same company for over 20 years due to the fact that under 50 employees work at her company.

The damn republicans don't want Uncle Sam regulating their small businesses.

just proves once again who has the ear of the people the corporation and the greed is good Republicans could care less about we 'the little people'

was the message i got from a principal where i taught once.

Kind, compassionate guy.

take our car into be repaired or any other personal errands, because we had all summer to take care or our personal business. I guess she thought we only got sick or needed our cars repaired in June, July or August.