Mass. voters back paid sick leave

Voters have approved a ballot question that supporters say will give Massachusetts the nation’s strongest requirement for providing paid sick time to workers, according to the Associated Press.

Question 4 entitles people to earn up to 40 hours of paid sick time each year if they work for businesses with 11 or more employees; staff at smaller companies would earn 40 hours of annual unpaid sick time.

Proponents of the ballot initiative said the change would impove productivity and public health, because workers now have to choose between going to work sick and losing income.

Those who urged a no vote argued that small businesses need flexibility and should not have their hands tied by new regulations.