H.R. 157 Summary

• Urges state and private health care networks to allow sick employees to take time off for illness without fear of retaliation or retribution.

• Calls for health care networks to review their attendance policies in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, which as of March 4, 2020, had affected more than 75 nations with over 92,800 confirmed cases and at least 3,200 deaths globally.

• Identifies problematic attendance policies that penalize workers for "two occurrences of absence within one month or two occurrences of tardiness within 14 consecutive days," resulting in corrective action and potential denial of time off requests.

• Notes that current punitive policies force health care workers to work while sick, negatively impacting both worker health and quality of patient care during a global health emergency.

• Directs certified copies of the resolution to be transmitted to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and heads of all state and private health care networks.