A bill that would mandate paid sick leave for Maryland businesses with 10 or more employees drew strong support and criticism Feb. 3 during a Senate Finance Committee hearing.
Advocates said the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Catherine E. Pugh (D-Baltimore), would help employers by allowing their workers to stay home while ill, preventing the spread of disease and getting them back on the job faster.
About 40 percent of private-sector workers — or more than 700,000 Marylanders — lack paid sick leave, according to the advocacy group Working Matters.