Proposal would require paid sick time

(WWLP) - A proposal on Capitol Hill would guarantee five paid sick days to workers if their employer tells them to stay home with swine flu or a similar contagious illness.

The measure would cover about 50 million workers with no paid sick leave.

Being forced to provide sick days to workers would hurt small locally owned businesses, said Mark Tansey, the owner of Partners Restaurant in Agawam.

His restaurant has 25 employees. He said that mandating sick days is a "box that doesn't need opening," putting an additional financial burden on small business owners.

Tansey said to keep his workers healthy, he has offered to pay for them to get an H1N1 flu shot.