I am disappointed with your editorial on mandated sick days for businesses (BDN, Feb. 18). As a single parent who works 40 hours each week at a local grocery store, I receive no sick days. So when one of my children gets sick requiring more than one day off it really makes for a difficult month. Rent, mortgage, heat, lights and food needs do not decrease because my paycheck is several days short.

My employer, who has several hundred employees at several stores, said to me, “That’s the way it is.”

Some might abuse the days off. Those people do not stay long at any job anyway. Workers show up sick, spreading their germs over the rest of us and then to customers as well.

Nancy Stevens

Orono