No employee chooses to get sick
BernCo’s paid leave proposal a step in right direction for workers
Restaurants are a driving force in New Mexico’s economy, yet the people who work for them — waiters, waitresses, hostesses, etc. — often don’t have any benefits. paid sick leave being one of them.
According to a study commissioned by the City Council on paid sick leave, 64% of Albuquerque workers in the hospitality industry do not have access to any type of paid sick leave.
My name is Juan Ortiz. I work in the restaurant industry and I am one of those people who does not have access to paid sick leave. I know I am not just speaking for myself when I say that getting sick can be downright scary sometimes. This is my experience:
A couple of months ago while I was at work, my face started to go numb and I didn’t know what was happening to me. It was terrifying. Thankfully, a coworker was able to rush me to the hospital. While I was there, I went through several tests to figure out what was going on. I
had experienced a stroke. After talking with the doctors and reviewing the test results, I was told I could go home and that I needed to take a week off to recover. Even though I had almost died, hearing the doctor tell me to take a week off seemed impossible. I felt like it was still my responsibility to go to work. Not to mention the expenses I needed to pay from my hospital visits. I am a hard worker and always have been, so I went right back to work (at a Downtown Albuquerque restaurant) after three days. I thought that if I could work just a little bit lighter than usual, everything would be OK.
Everything was not OK. I showed up for my shift and told my boss that I was ready to work but that I would need to take it easy for a few days. I asked him if I could have lighter work than what I usually do, but his reaction was not what I was hoping for. He looked at me as if I was asking for something outrageous, told me, “If you can’t do it, I will find someone who can,” and fired me right on the spot. I did not ask him for any time off. All I wanted was to work. I needed to work and simply asked if I could have a lighter workload so I could fully recover from my stroke and pay my bills. How is that too much to ask for when I come in every day and work hard for his company? I thought he would show sympathy. I was wrong.
... I worked there for seven months and did everything from cooking to locking up. I showed determination and a hard-work ethic, and when I asked for a lighter workload due to having a stroke, (I was) treated like I was expendable and replaceable. Everyone gets sick, but no one ever gets to choose when that happens.
Hard-working New Mexicans should not be afraid to take care of themselves when they need it or be threatened with their livelihoods when they fall ill. Bernalillo County will be voting Tuesday on an ordinance regarding paid time off and paid sick leave (in the unincorporated county), which is a step in the right direction toward treating workers with respect. We are people, not commodities, and it’s about time we are treated like it!