U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation that would guarantee paid sick leave for workers across the country, the junior New York senator said Wednesday.

According to Gillibrand, the Healthy Families Act would:

• Guarantee every worker in America up to seven paid sick days each year, to be used to recover from their own illnesses, access preventive care, provide care to a sick family member or attend school meetings related to a child’s health condition or disability
• Simplify how employers calculate paid sick leave. Workers would earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a minimum of 56 hours per year
• Allow employers to use their existing policies if they exceed minimum standards
• Allow victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault to use their paid sick days to recover or seek assistance

According to Gillibrand’s office, nearly 27 million American workers lack any paid sick time at all, including 20% of the private sector workforce and 7% of the public sector workforce. For low-income workers and households, just 58% of low-income, private-sector workers able to access paid sick days.

Gillibrand said workers without paid sick leave are three times more likely to delay or forgo necessary health care for themselves and nearly twice as likely to forgo medical care for their families compared to working adults with paid sick days. In contrast, workers with access to paid sick leave are 28% less likely to suffer nonfatal occupational injuries, and employers who provide paid sick leave see 25% less turnover in their workforce.

"No one should have to choose between a paycheck and caring for a loved one or themselves. Yet, as the cost of groceries, gas, and housing continues to skyrocket, hardworking Americans are still forced into that impossible position every day,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “Paid sick leave is a fundamental right and a commonsense protection that provides stability, ensuring families can handle life's unavoidable challenges without falling behind on bills. Our Healthy Families Act is a practical solution that would give every working family the economic security and peace of mind they deserve.”

The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, who said “it is an international embarrassment that the United States of America remains the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid sick days to workers.”

The Healthy Families Act is endorsed by 88 organizations, Gillibrand said, including AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Auto Workers (UAW), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Transport Workers Union (TWU) and others.