Line chefs and waiters who help power Rhode Island’s food industry are at odds with business owners on legislation that would require private sector employers to provide paid days off when workers call in sick.
Democratic state lawmakers have been negotiating with worker advocates and business groups over a scaled-back proposal similar to what’s been adopted in other states and cities.
A panel of the Rhode Island Senate is scheduled to consider the compromise measure Wednesday.
The original legislation would have required employers to provide workers up to seven paid sick days to care for their own health or a family member’s health. That could be dropped to five days, matching what’s offered in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut.
