The Austin Young Chamber Board Response to Mandated Sick Leave Policy
The Austin City Council released a draft of a new mandatory paid sick leave ordinance on January 19, 2018. You may read a draft of the six-page ordinance here.
As of January 31, the Austin Young Chamber Board of Directors understands that City Council intends to vote on the draft ordinance at the February 15 meeting.
Through the Economic Development Committee, the Chamber educates members and the young professional community about public policy, as well as monitors and determines a path for the Chamber to take action (endorse or oppose) on specific policies and legislation. The Committee closely monitored coverage and debate about the proposed policy since September 2017.
However, the Board notes that City Council members have not yet produced an economic impact analysis of the draft ordinance. Furthermore, with less than one month between the release of the draft ordinance and the proposed vote, our process for vetting a new policy cannot be carried forth in good faith.
Hence, due to the expeditious timeline and lack of understanding about the impact of the draft ordinance, we urge City Council to postpone a vote on the draft ordinance at least 90 days and until an independent study of the new mandatory paid sick leave ordinance can be produced.
