Hundreds of small businesses in California say they can’t afford to offer paid sick days to employees, but Assemblywoman Fiona Ma believes businesses actually could save money by doing so. The San Francisco Democrat’s Assembly Bill 2716 would let workers earn paid sick days that could be used to recover from illness, care for a sick relative or recover from domestic violence or sexual assault. The California Chamber of Commerce said the proposal would “unreasonably expand employers’ costs and liability.” Those cost increases could result in lower wages, reduced health insurance availability and reductions in worker-training programs, the chamber said. Read More. (The Sacramento Bee 04/17/08)