Does Having an Effective, Family-Friendly, Workplace Matter?

You bet it does!

And paid sick days for every worker is a critical element. Check out what a new report from the Families and Work Institute finds ...

"Employees who receive at least five paid days off per year for personal illness report significantly better work and health/well-being outcomes. Fifty-six percent of employees with at least five paid days off for personal illness report high job satisfaction compared to 49% with less than five days off. Within the five-plus day group, 71% report no signs of depression, versus 61% of those with less than five days off."

Read about paid sick days, and more, in "The State of Health in the American Workplace: Does Having an Effective Workplace Matter?" at http://familiesandwork.org/

Share your own paid sick days story by emailing rosemaryh@9to5.org.

Let's come together to speak out on the need for the Healthy Families Act, federal legislation guaranteeing each worker the opportunity to earn seven paid sick days each year. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Healthy Families Act now!

Unemployment Changes Little

REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT

AUGUST 2009

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in

August. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia reported over-

the-month unemployment rate increases, 16 states registered rate decreases,

and 7 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

reported today. Over the year, jobless rates increased in all 50 states and

the District of Columbia. The national unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent

in August, up 0.3 percentage point from July and 3.5 points from

August 2008.

Read the entire release at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm

Activist Shines a Light on Milwaukee's Troubling Paid Sick Days Decision

Ted Bobrow is a native New Yorker but he is dedicated to making his "adopted" hometown, Milwaukee, a better place for working families. A strong 9to5 ally, Ted wrote a compelling piece for ThirdCoast Digest, one of Milwaukee's most vibrant online sites.

In "City's Troubling Decision to Sit Out Paid Sick Leave Appeal," Ted questions Mayor Tom Barrett's unwillingness to stand up for the voters who approved paid sick days in an overwhelming vote and Ted applauds the Milwaukee Chapter of 9to5 for continuing to fight the good fight for paid sick days.

Read the full story at http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2009/09/city’s-troubling-decision-to-sit-out-sick-leave-appeal/

And, contact your members of Congress, urging them to support the Healthy Families Act, federal legislation that would guarantee every American worker the opportunity to earn up to 7 paid sick days a year.

Listen to Linda on Women's Radio News

Want to hear more about 9to5, our issues, our campaigns? Want to get valuable information about creating change in work-family policy, like paid sick days? Then, "tune in" to Women's Radio News today and tomorrow (9/14 and 9/15) at http://www.womensradio.com/content/templates/?a=3882&z=11.