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Govs Get It Done: Maine Governor Janet Mills’ Earned Paid Leave Plan Sets Potential Model for Country

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Paul Pellman, CEO of Kazoo: “Maine’s new sick leave policy for workers sets a precedent other states may follow” 

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills is earning national praise for the bipartisan earned paid leave bill she signed into law in May. In an article published last week on CNBC, Paul Pellman, CEO of Kazoo, called the law “a victory not only for Maine’s workforce but for its companies as well.” Maine’s groundbreaking legislation allows employees to use accrued sick leave for any reason rather than limiting the use for personal illness.
Read key excerpts below on why Maine’s earned paid leave program benefits the state’s economy and how it could be a model for the country:
CNBC: Paul Pellman, CEO of Kazoo – Maine’s new sick leave policy for workers sets a precedent other states may follow
Another state is stepping up to give its hardworking employees the treatment and flexibility they deserve.
Under new legislation signed into law May 28 by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, workers in Maine will now be able to accrue paid time off — and use it for whatever they wish. Maine is the 11th state to guarantee full-time workers paid sick leave, but the first to allow the time to be used for something other than personal illness.
[…]
This new law is a victory not only for Maine’s workforce but its companies as well: The Pine Tree State’s workforce is among the least productive in the nation, generating just over $88,000 in economic output per job last year, according to CNBC’s 2019 America’s States for Business study, released this month. Studies consistently have shown that taking time off improves productivity, lowers stress and results in better mental health.
[…]
Now is the time for organizations to rethink how they view paid sick time. It’s no longer a luxury benefit but a necessity for effective business operations. Forward-thinking businesses and states like Maine are turning the tide, helping workers avoid the choice between health and a paycheck.
Why offer paid sick leave? With results that include improved employee morale, retention and productivity, the better question is: Why not?