Union workers written up, fired for using sick days; Nevada lawmaker moves to close loophole
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Some union workers are afraid to use sick days because they might be written up or fired for being 'undependable,' and now a Nevada lawmaker is coming to their aid.
A 2019 law that guaranteed paid leave for employees has been weaponized by companies that are exploiting a loophole in the language. Now, Democratic Assem. Selena La Rue Hatch is sponsoring Assembly Bill 179 (AB179) to close that loophole related to workers under collective bargaining agreements.
The law was written with the intent of guaranteeing time off for employees.
A woman who has worked for a company for nearly 14 years told her story in Carson City on Friday. Amanda Whitten, a member of Teamsters Local 553, described her ordeal. Along with other employees at a company that was not named, she has been written up every time she used a sick day in recent years.
'In July 2024, I had to use a sick day and received a discharge letter as I was deemed a dependability issue,' Whitten said.
'Prior to that, I hadn't used a sick day since 2023, December, almost 9 months.'
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After the first year of employment, the company gave workers nine sick days per year.
'I had a full bank of sick days meant for emergencies. But now I constantly worry needing to take time off for myself or my elementary-aged daughter who — like most kids her age — is prone to getting sick.'
When she used sick time in October due to severe stomach flu, she got another discharge letter.
She still has her job, but she's worried about the discharges on her record, and she sees her co-workers coming to work sick all the time.
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A Teamsters union representative told lawmakers that workers think they don't have the right to call in sick anymore.
Union members turned out to testify in support of AB179. The Vegas Chamber and the Nevada Resort Association opposed the bill. A representative with the Nevada Contractors Board said the bill needs to be adjusted to ensure employers subject to collective bargaining agreements don't have to pay for the time off twice.
The Nevada Hospital Association argued that businesses — and hospitals in particular — need the ability to apply progressive discipline for absences, calling it a patient safety issue.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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