Tuesday, July 30, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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For my parents, calling into work sick has never been an option. Missing one day of work meant they might not have enough money for groceries or even rent. So it was not unusual for them to go to work sick even when their doctor has advised them to stay home.
But after decades of hard work and sacrifice, there came a time when my mom and dad had to call in sick — and that decision cost both of my parents their jobs.
My mother was terminated from her position at a cleaning company last year. She had never missed a single day of work and had always been a prompt and reliable employee. But after feeling sick for several days, she decided to go to the doctor, who advised her to stay home from work to get the rest she needed to gain back her strength.
She called into work and provided her employer with a doctor’s note the following day — but that was not enough and the company let her go. With my mom out of work, my dad was under a lot of pressure to provide for our family.
Like my mom, my dad was never late nor did he ever miss a day of work. A year after my mother was fired, my father got sick and the story repeated itself. My father went to the doctor and he was advised to take three days off of work. Taking that many days off was difficult for my father to accept, but he knew he had to follow the doctor’s orders, even if it would make things a little tighter at home to pay the bills. My dad called into work and spoke to his supervisor. After the three days, he returned to work with a doctor’s note only to be told they did not need him anymore.
My parents belong to the vast majority of Nevadans who literally can’t afford to get sick. Too many working people force themselves to go to work when illness strikes for fear of losing their jobs and incomes.
That is why I was so happy to hear Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law Senate Bill 312, which will guarantee access to earned paid sick days to more working families across the Silver State.
But there is still a lot of work to be done. That is why I will continue to be involved.
First, we need to make sure that with the support of the governor, workers can use the paid sick time they’ve earned without penalty. Second, we need to build on this legislation to make sure all of Nevada’s employees can earn paid sick time.
Even though many working families will benefit from this law, my parents will remain unprotected because they work in businesses with fewer than 50 employees. They will continue to have to make the hard choice between caring for their health or putting food on the table.
Everyone gets sick and every hardworking Nevadan should be able to take time off when they need it most.
Nevadans, it’s time to care about every working family.
Maria Rebolledo is an 18-year-old Las Vegas resident.
