An Ohio ballot measure that would have mandated employers to provide paid sick leave was withdrawn from consideration by the Secretary of State last week. A coalition of more than 150 organizations, Ohioans for Healthy Families, worked to put the measure (see PDF) on the ballot and also made the decision to withdraw it. If approved, the measure would have required seven days of paid sick leave annually from companies with more than 25 employees who worked more than 30 hours a week.
The proposed measure was strongly resisted by Ohio business interests who argued that it would put Ohio at a “competitive disadvantage” economically, according to the Lancaster Eagle Gazette.
In a press release the coalition explained that “to prevent a divisive campaign filled with false claims about the impact of paid sick days on Ohio’s economy, Ohioans for Healthy Families has turned its focus to a solution that includes all states and all Americans…together we will work with Senator Brown and other co-sponsors of the Healthy Families Act to enact a national solution that allows all Americans the right to earn paid sick days for themselves and their families.”
