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Print Edition StoriesWednesday, December 2, 2009
Policy Tracker
H1N1 flu could lead to bill requiring paid sick leave; U.S. industry calls for global Internet governance talks
Cable, telecom companies see net neutrality battle
Ig Nobel Prizes 2009 award winners
H1N1 flu could lead to bill requiring paid sick leave
Business groups fear the H1N1 flu crisis could lead to federal legislation requiring employers to provide paid sick leave to workers.
Legislation introduced by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., would require employers to provide employees with up to five days of paid sick leave if they are sent home or told to stay home because of symptoms related to contagious illnesses such as the H1N1 flu virus.
Miller, who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee, held a hearing on his legislation Nov. 17. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate.
Some small business advocates, however, said the legislation is unnecessary. Most employers already offer paid sick leave, or make other arrangements, such as telework, to deal with outbreaks of contagious illnesses, they say.
Businesses with fewer than 15 employees are exempt from the legislation, as are employers that already provide at least five days of paid sick leave.
— Kent Hoover, ACBJ Wire Service
U.S. industry calls for global Internet governance talks
Speaking on behalf of a broad U.S. industry delegation at the fourth Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, TechAmerica Vice President Liesyl Franz called for the international meetings to continue in a broad, dynamic and open fashion.
“There is no other forum where governments, civil society groups and industry can meet and work together on equal footing on the important issues we have been discussing here in Egypt this week,” said Franz, who spoke on behalf of Tech-America, the U.S. Council for International Business, NetChoice, and Association for Competitive Technology.
“The IGF is a unique venue that enables information exchange and, in fact, knowledge transfer of technical expertise and policy experiences that participants can take home to their own national, societal, and corporate environments,” said Franz. “It allows a bottom-up discussion that is fueled by the stakeholders with the greatest stake in a stable, resilient, and innovative Internet.”
— TechAmerica
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