For Immediate Release
Washington, DC – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today sent a letter to Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval urging him to veto Senate Bill 196. The bill infringes on large employers’ ability to provide quality paid sick leave to employees under existing policies that already offer generous amounts of leave.
ERIC, the only national association that advocates exclusively for large employers on health, retirement, and compensation public policies at the federal, state, and local levels, recognizes the importance of paid sick leave, but believes states should not pass laws that hinder those employers who already provide quality leave policies. Specifically, SB 196 mandates the carryover of accrued, unused leave between years of employment. This would have an adverse effect on the totality of benefits offered by employers, as most large employers balance paid sick leave with short and long-term disability programs. By forcing large employers to allow for carryover, you force them to alter and potentially decrease benefits for all employees in order to compensate accordingly. In the end, this legislation only increases the compliance burden on employers already providing the underlying benefit the legislation mandates.
“Governor Sandoval must veto this legislation, as it will negatively impact employers already providing paid sick leave programs to employees,” said Bryan Hum, Retirement and Compensation Policy Associate, ERIC. “ERIC members, many of whom have employees in every state, including Nevada, need the freedom to be able provide uniform leave for all employees, no matter their location.”
Earlier this month, ERIC submitted written testimony to the Nevada State Assembly’s Committee on Commerce and Labor asking for changes to SB 196 that would have alleviated the bill from interrupting those paid sick leave policies that meet or exceed the proposed legislation. ERIC also submitted testimony on the bill to the Nevada Senate Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Energy in March.