has estimated that intimate partner violence costs over $700,000,000 annually due to the victims’ lost productivity in employment. (15) Efforts to assist abused employees result in positive outcomes for employers as well as employees because employers can retain workers who might otherwise be compelled to leave. (16) Dozens of States, cities, and localities have or will soon have paid sick time laws in place and evidence shows that those laws are working well for workers, businesses, and the economy. (17) A 2009 study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that, of 22 countries with comparable economies, the United States was 1 of only 3 countries that did not provide any paid time off for workers with short-term illnesses. 3. Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to ensure that working people can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families by requiring employers to permit employees to earn up to 56 hours of paid sick time including paid time for family care