Opinion Poll: Small Business Owners Support Paid Sick Days, Majority Offer Benefits to Employees

Publisher: 
Small Business Majority
Date: 
Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Many small business owners think of their employees as family, and they believe in taking care of them in order to retain a happy and loyal workforce and to attract top talent. They also know it’s important for their employees to address their and their family’s daily needs, and many have implemented family-friendly policies that allow their employees to balance their work and family responsibilities. A national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research found entrepreneurs support implementing a law that would allow employees to earn paid sick days to use when they or an immediate family member is sick, and the majority already offer a variety of benefits to their employees.

Key Findings

Half of small business owners support a law that would allow employees to earn paid sick days when they or an immediate family member is sick or need preventive care: Half of small business owners (50%) say they would support a law requiring that employers allow employees to earn paid sick days based on the hours they have worked, as opposed to 42% who say they would not support such a law. Employees could use this earned sick time when they or an immediate family member is sick or need preventive medical care. Additionally the majority of micobusinesses support paid sick leave: 54% of businesses with 1-5 employees and 52% of businesses with 1-10 employees say they would support such a law.

Figure 1: Half of small business owners support a law that would allow employees to earn paid sick days

Would you support or oppose a law requiring that employers allow employees to earn paid sick days based on the hours they have worked? Employees would be able to use this earned sick time when they or an immediate family member are sick or need preventive medical care.

Small employers offer family-friendly benefits to their employees to accommodate their responsibilities at home: More than 6 in 10 (61%) small businesses allow their workers to take time off from work for children’s school activities, such as parent-teacher conferences. Three in 10 (29%) provide flexible work schedules or opportunities to work from home, and nearly 1 in 5 offer childcare benefits, such as subsidized childcare or onsite childcare facilities. More than 1 in 5 (21%) small businesses provide information about and ways to connect with public benefits, such as free or reduced-priced meals for their children.

Many small business owners offer a variety of financial incentives, such as tuition reimbursement, retirement benefits and more: More than 4 in 10 (43%) small business owners offer on-the-job training or financial assistance for education and training outside the job, such as tuition reimbursement. Small business owners offer additional financial incentives to employees, including retirement benefits (19%) and financial counseling or access to financial institutions, products and services (19%).

Majority of small businesses offer paid vacation to their employees: Fifty-two percent of small business owners provide paid vacation to their employees.

Figure 2: Majority of small businesses provide paid leave to their employees

Thinking specifically about your business, please tell me if this is something you currently provide to employees or something you do not currently provide to employees.

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