On August 8, 2008, the Los Angeles Times reported that a California bill that would have required employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees has been killed in the California legislature. The bill had met with significant opposition from the California business community for many of the same reasons that the paid sick leave mandate is bad for Ohio; specifically:

• The cost to small businesses that can’t afford to provide paid sick leave, the disruptions caused by unplanned and unscheduled absences;
   
• The disruptions caused by unplanned and unscheduled absences;
   
• The disincentive that the law would cause for businesses to locate or expand operations in the state; and
   
• The lack of controls and safeguards to prevent abuse.

Unless Governor Strickland’s office is able to obtain a compromise that keeps the mandate off the November ballot, it will be up to Ohio’s business community to educate the voters on why the costs of the proposed Ohio mandated paid sick leave program far outweigh its benefits. We will keep you posted on any new developments as they occur.