October --, 2012 Council Member Dear_______: In the wake of all the flurry of press on the paid sick

day issue, we wanted to take this time to contact you again regarding the position of the 5 Borough Chamber of Commerce Coalition on this matter. As we have indicated in the past - through the public hearings, testimonies from small businesses, meetings with city council members, op-eds in publications from business owners opposing the bill, etc. this proposed unfunded mandate will hurt both employers and ultimately employees as other benefits, work hours, etc. would be cut in order to stay afloat. Although Council Member Garodnicks suggested modifications to the bill are well-meaning, this does not change our position on the paid sick day proposal. It is an onerous bill that will put more financial burdens on the backs of the small businesses who cannot afford any more mandates and costs. Why would the city want to increase costs of doing business at a time when businesses and the economy are struggling and unemployment is still very high? As you know, we have heard from many of our small business owners who are extremely concerned about the impact of this legislation, especially right now, while many are still recovering from the effects of the downturn and trying to rebuild their businesses. And we want you to know that many of them who have spoken out have heard from proponents who have threatened to take business away, not shop in their stores or dine in their restaurants. One proprietor even lost a big function because of his stance on this issue. We are sure that you are not in agreement with these tactics but we want you to know this as it is hard to encourage business owners to speak out in light of these types of tactics. On the next pages you will find comments from business owners some who have been willing to discuss this and some who do not wish to be identified. We continue to oppose this legislation and support Speaker Quinns position on this issue. Dont add more costs and threaten the sustainability and growth of New York Citys small businessesthe job sustainers and creators in this city. Sincerely,

Linda Baran Staten Island

Lenny Caro Bronx

Jack Friedman Queens

Carlo Scissura Brooklyn

Nancy Ploeger Manhattan

Our printing company has 26 full time employees. We currently offer 6 paid sick days and forcing us to offer 9 paid sick days will cost our business another $30,000 per year and that will be a burden on our company which is challenged by this current economy. I will have to cut down on their vacation time to cover these costs. Ivy Chow, Vice President GM Printing, LIC The owner of a local spa in Staten Island, (remaining nameless) her employees typically have five appointments per day, three of them regular clients. With an average charge of $80 per appointment, her business faces a revenue loss of $400 when one of her employees takes a day off due to illness. The owner can shrink that loss to $228 for the day if she pays someone to cover the two non-regular clients, paying $18.50 per hour for an eight-hour shift ($148 total), and reschedules the three regulars (and their $240 in revenue) for future appointments. If this bill passes, she will have to pay an additional $148 to her sick employee, increasing her loss for the day to $376. As a small business owner of over 23 years with a single-location womens clothing retail store, I value my employees and do my best to keep my good employees happy. I cannot afford to offer a lot of benefits but I work with them on a personal basis and help them as much as possible. The most I can afford is 3 sick paid sick days. If there is a mandate to offer more sick days, this would be very costly and I would force me to cut back in order to keep my employees and keep my doors open. I respect what the council is trying to do and as the person who actually runs my business, I can tell you that most of my employees are terrific. However, if they now know they have 5 paid sick days, some will take advantage of that and use it, sick or not, adding unnecessary costs to my business. As I read recently (a comment posted by a social worker regarding this issue) when the proponents suggest an employer has a moral obligation to providing paid sick days, why is there no mention of an employee's moral obligation to use only when they really need them? Who is protecting me? Why is this only a one-way bill? I strongly feel that a few bad apples are being given license to spoil the entire basket. Deborah Koenigsberger, Owner Noir et Blanc, Manhattan One small messenger business in Park Slope with 10 employees estimates an additional 20K a year in costs while the firm still struggles to get revenues back to pre-recession amounts. A grocer with 100 + employees is certain this will affect the size of his workforce by up to 10 percent, and probably will add an extra 50Ka year in costs, and potentially affect employee benefits. My husband and I have run a small business in NYC for more than 20 years, growing it to a company employing 60+ people. We have always done our best to provide benefits, including health insurance, which we have offered and subsidized since we hired our first full-time employee in 1993. It is simply good business to make benefits part of the compensation package. However, mandates which dictate that there be one size to fit all are not helpful to a growing business, especially in tough economic times. The SBA defines a small business as one with up to 500 employees. While there could be a discussion of whether this is a fair definition, viewing businesses with 10 or 25 or 50 or even 100 employees as a big business does a disservice to entrepreneurs and employees alike and serves to dis-incentivize job creation at a time when it is sorely needed.

Of course we dont want employees to feel they need to come to work when they are sick. But in our business, which operates 24/7, missed shifts are easily made up at another time. The bill in its current form offers no allowance for this. Small business is being strangled by mandates and regulation at all levels of government. There is only so much that small businesses can bear before we are either forced out of business or simply decide that the risks we take every day are no longer worth the trouble. Rosine Rubin, CFO, Atitude New York, Inc., Manhattan

We have 13 full time and 12 part time employees and this bill will cost me an additional $30,000 per year. Coupled with our struggles to keep business alive during the 2nd Ave. Subway construction , this will be a crushing blow. Submitted by Dave Goodside President The Beach Caf We have 21 employees and if this bill is passed, my costs will be an additional $33,000 per year-a payroll increase of 3.6 percent, not including paying replacement costs of overtime or per diem hiring. Since our budget is not equipped to handle added expenses of this magnitude we may be forced to lay off personnel or diminish other discretionary benefits that we currently provide to our employees. Submitted by Annmarie Gulino Gentile Angiuli Katkin & Gentile, LLP, Staten Island I have a staff of 45 full and part-time employees and this will cost me over $60,000 annually to comply with this if it is passed. This is not something I can afford and will also curtail my hiring and other benefit offerings. Henry Meer City Hall Restaurant