This is a bad idea, and it probably won’t get out of committee- heck,?it should not even need attacking. However, since this Democrat is fairly high-ranking- California’s George Miller,?Chair of the?House Education and Labor Committee- I think it’s worth the effort.

According to Reuters, Miller said, “”Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn’t have to choose between their livelihood, and their co-workers’ or customers’ health.” So instead, Miller is proposing that businesses (most of which are small businesses) spend more of their thinly-spread money in a recession. Great idea. Let’s not forget, Congressman, that business owners are people, too.

To be fair, according to an analysis done by?this?site, sick days benefit the businesses that use them, equivalent to about 56% of medium-to-large American businesses. However, despite defending the concept of sick pay and its unquestionable benefits, it also acknowledges that the financial burden will cause harm to some businesses.

Wanting to help people is great- however, this is just another government step into the private sector that is unnecessary and will certainly lead to other “helpful” laws and regulations. What’s next? Banning smoking in all restaurants nationwide because it can harm employees? There’s lost productivity there, too. How about mandating that people stay within government-mandated levels of weight at work? Oh, I know- 12 days of sick leave a year, not just the five Miller wants.

All hyperbole aside, Miller is correct that this would benefit our health care system- after all, staying home gets the sick person better faster and prevents the spread of sicknesses at work. However, the cost of undue burden on businesses and the unnecessary government intervention in private industry are not worth the benefits of this proposal.