A scientific opinion poll released shows small business owners support implementing laws that would allow employees to earn paid sick days to use when they or an immediate family member is sick, and the majority also offer a variety of benefits to their employees.
“As a small business owner, I believe offering paid sick days makes good business sense because it increases employee retention and productivity and helps keep my business offerings competitive,” said Ed Snodgrass, president and founder of Emory Knoll Farms in Street, Maryland. “My employees who take advantage of paid sick days return to work not only focused, but also perform their jobs to the best of their ability.”
The telephone poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research on behalf of Small Business Majority, found 50 percent of small businesses would support a law requiring employers to allow employees to earn paid sick days based on the hours they have worked, as opposed to 42 percent who say they would not support such a law. Additionally, the majority of microbusinesses support paid sick leave: 54 percent of businesses with 1-5 employees and 52 percent of businesses with 1-10 employees say they would support such a law.
“I invest a lot in training my employees, so I want them to stay with my business for a long time,” said Kelly Vore, owner of Downtown Home and Garden in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “I’ve found one of the best ways to reduce turnover and keep my employees happy is offering paid time off. They know I care about their wellbeing, and that helps strengthen their loyalty to my business.”
What’s more, many small employers offer family-friendly benefits to their employees to accommodate their responsibilities at home, including 61 percent of all small businesses and 71 percent of businesses with 11-100 employees that allow their employees to take time off from work for children’s school activities, such as parent-teacher conferences. Three in 10 small employers provide flexible work schedules or opportunities to work from home to accommodate family responsibilities, and nearly 1 in 5 of all small employers (18 percent) and nearly 3 in 10 (27 percent) of small businesses with 11-100 employees offer childcare benefits, such as subsidized childcare or onsite childcare facilities.
“Small business owners often think of their employees as family, and they believe in taking care of them in order to retain a happy and loyal workforce and to attract top talent,” said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. “They also know it’s important for their employees to address their and their family’s daily needs, and many have implemented family-friendly policies that allow their employees to balance their work and family responsibilities. We encourage small businesses to continue this practice and urge policymakers to pass laws that help small businesses offer additional benefits to keep their workforce happy and healthy.”
What’s more, many small businesses offer a variety of financial incentives, including 43 percent of small businesses that offer on-the-job training or financial assistance for education and training outside the job, such as tuition reimbursement. Nearly half (48 percent) of small businesses with 11-100 employees offer this benefit. Small business owners offer additional financial incentives to employees, including retirement benefits (19 percent) and financial counseling or access to financial institutions, products and services (19 percent).
Fifty-two percent of small businesses offer paid vacation to employees, and nearly 1 in 3 small businesses offer health insurance benefits to employees, either through an employer-sponsored plan or by paying a portion of employees’ own health insurance. Forty-four percent of small businesses with 11-100 employees offer health insurance benefits to their employees.
“These findings show that small businesses understand the importance of family friendly workplaces that afford working parents the flexibility they need to work and raise a family,” said Loren Harris, director of family economic security at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “At the Kellogg Foundation, we believe employers that invest in benefits like paid leave give working parents the opportunity to provide a better future for their families.”
Survey respondents were predominantly Republican, with 44 percent identifying as Republican, 29 percent as Democrat and 20 percent as independent or other. Funding for the poll was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
For the full poll report, please visit: http://www.
###
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.
The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America’s 28 million small businesses today. We actively engage small business owners to drive smart public policy and get entrepreneurs the resources they need to thrive. We conduct extensive opinion and economic research and work with our rapidly growing network of 40,000 small business owners across the country to ensure their voices are an integral part of the public policy debate. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
