According to Chicago-based Women Employed "77 percent of the lowest-wage workers have no paid sick leave at all" and that includes the men and women who make our food every day in fast-food and even sit-down restaurants.

Many of the excuses given for not allowing workers to earn paid sick days is abuse. That workers just won't feel like going to work one day and call in for the heck of it. Business owners believe paid sick days are too costly. Some even argue that the flexibility of working at the mall or in a restaurant means you shouldn't have to take a paid sick day to visit the doctor, just reschedule or flip a day with a coworker.

But in Milwaukee 68% of voters said they want all workers to have paid sick days starting in 2009:

A new Milwaukee ballot initiative would allow workers to earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. This means that full time employees for large businesses will earn 72 hours a year (9 days for those working a 40 hour week); small businesses with fewer than 10 employees will only be required to provide 40 hours of paid sick leave a year (5 days for those working a 40 hour week)

Nine days a year doesn't appear to be a high price from say the flu breaking out in your whole small office and causing everyone to be out sick for a week. But even that token amount of days is causing an uproar among the Milwaukee business community and they are fighting back in court.

I understand their side too, at least when it comes to comparative advantage. If you were going to open a cafe, would you do it in Milwaukee or just outside of it knowing you would have to add sick days to your cost list? Which is why a national law might be the best answer to this kind of issue.