Dear Members of Congress,

We represent thousands of families across the United States. Americans everywhere are struggling to balance work and family and the demands have increased as many of us work longer hours and are caring not only for our children but for our parents. We are writing to urge you to support The Healthy Families Act, legislation that will make an important difference in all our lives.

Forty-seven percent of private sector workers in the United States do not have a single day of paid sick leave. Without sick days, employees often come to work ill, decreasing productivity and infecting co-workers. The situation is even worse for those with children. Eighty-six million Americans do not have paid sick days that they can use to care for a sick child. Instead, these parents are often forced to send an ill child to school, leave a child home alone, or ask an older sibling to miss school to watch their brother or sister. Or, they risk losing a job, losing pay or facing sanctions for taking the time off from work.

The Healthy Families Act eases some of the tough choices facing American families today. It provides full-time employees with a minimum seven days of paid sick leave to be used to recover from their own illness or to care for a sick family member. It also benefits business by lowering employee turnover costs and ensuring that a healthy, productive workforce is on the job.

As Americans, we are all too familiar with the need for paid sick days to help workers manage the competing demands of a job and a family. Therefore, we are calling for widespread Congressional support of The Healthy Families Act. Whether workers are caring for a child with an ear infection, a parent recovering from a fall, or their own case of the flu, paid sick days are an essential support for millions of Americans.

We urge you, our members of Congress, to demonstrate your commitment to America’s families by supporting The Healthy Families Act.