The Legal Aid Society has thrown its support behind a new package of legislation being put forward by City Councilmembers Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn) and Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo (D-Brooklyn).

The package of three bills are designed to extend paid sick leave and whistleblower protections to essential workers who have performed essential duties while much of the city remains locked down due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The bill would also require companies with more than 100 employees to pay a premium per shift to hourly workers, according to Kings County Politics.

Many essential workers who have taken great risk to perform the roles that has allowed the city to continue functioning throughout the health crisis do not have basic benefits that many others take for granted – an injustice this legislation seeks to address.

“These bills require only that employers do the right thing by their employees and by the public,” said Sumani Lanka, a staff attorney in The Legal Aid Society’s Employment Law Unit.