AUSTIN — About 4.3 million working Texans aren't paid for taking sick days, a new report finds.

This study from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a center-left think tank, reports that roughly 40 percent of the state’s workforce can’t take paid sick days, with the majority being Hispanic workers. In Dallas, 41 percent of workers aren’t paid for sick days.

“We believe that all hardworking Texans, regardless of what kind of job they do or how much they earn, should be able to care for themselves or a loved one if they get sick,” the center said in the report.

The lack of paid sick days hurts low-wage, Hispanic and part-time workers the most, who are the least likely to be able to get by if they miss a day of wages, the report said.

Fifty percent of Hispanic Texas workers don't have paid sick days compared to black Texas workers (37 percent), white Texas workers (33 percent) and Asian Texas workers (32 percent). The rate of Dallas workers without access was slightly higher compared to San Antonio, with 39 percent, and Austin with 37 percent.

According to the study, only 31 percent of full-time, low-wage (making less than $15,000 annually) Texas workers have paid sick days, compared to 84 percent of Texas workers who earn more than $65,000 annually.

“A lot of people in Texas don't have access to earn paid sick days, and this is a growing policy change we’re seeing in places across the country,” said Chandra Villanueva, study author and program director of the center’s economic opportunity team. “It's important that all jobs are good jobs so people don't have to worry about losing wages just because they're sick.”

The state has no paid or unpaid leave policy. The Texas Workforce Commission says sick leave is not required and, if granted, the leave can be paid or unpaid.

But some Texans in the three cities the report studied are pushing to change that. A group of Dallas activists has been collecting signatures to add mandatory paid sick time from private employers to the ballot for the November midterm elections. These groups were given until Monday to collect 64,862 signatures of registered voters in Dallas in order to add it to the ballot.

Activists in San Antonio collected 144,000 signatures for their effort, twice what was necessary to get paid sick leave on the ballot.

Austin was the first city in Texas to require paid sick leave after the city council passed an ordinance in February, effective Oct. 1. But in April, a conservative think tank sued the city, arguing that the ordinance violates state law. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed papers supporting the suit and said only the Legislature can establish the minimum wage and paid leave.

"The Austin City Council's disdain and blatant disregard for the rule of law is an attempt to unlawfully and inappropriately usurp the authority of the state lawmakers chosen by Texas voters and must be stopped," Paxton said in a statement to the Texas Tribune.

Paxton said the Texas Minimum Wage Act is a "single, uniform policy for the entire state" — and does not require employers to provide paid time off.

Former Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez, the Democratic candidate for governor, tweeted her support of paid sick days for working Texans after the report was released, calling it an issue of public health and economic fairness.

Millions of Texans lack access to paid sick days. This is a public health issue and economic fairness issue.



Texas should be leading the way on this issue, not blocking progress at every turn. When we invest in workers, we all do better. #PaidSickDays #txlege https://t.co/MI4PTciMFo — Lupe Valdez (@LupeValdez) June 5, 2018

States with paid sick day policies covering all workers include Arizona, Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Rhode Island, Maryland and New Jersey.