The paid sick leave ordinance that citizens voted into law last November has been making Milwaukee headlines a lot recently. Last Friday, Milwaukee County circuit court Judge Thomas R. Cooper granted a request for an injunction allowing businesses to postpone implementation of the ordinance until the lawsuit spearheaded by Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has its day in court.

Milwaukee is only the third city in the United States – after San Francisco and Washington D.C. — to pass this measure. Under the ordinance, employers must give workers will accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Full time workers can earn up to nine days of paid sick leave. Sick leave must be granted for preventative health reasons and for the care any family member or person with whom the employee has a like-family relationship.

When thinking of how this will be applied, we were left scratching our heads at how this will play out at Marquette. Since this is paid sick leave and not just any paid time off, employers cannot expect significant advance notice of an absence. Student desk receptionists will be allowed to call in their paid sick leave and not show up for work. Our editor-in-chief will be able to call in sick on the occasional Monday or Wednesday because his roommate is sick and neglect to publish a paper.

If you are guaranteed a certain amount of paid sick time, why not use it? According to Student Employment Services, as of the Feb 11 pay date, Marquette was employing a total 2,242 students part-time for an average of 17.95 hours. Using these numbers to make a rough approximation, this translates to an approximate annual total of 1,453 days of student paid sick leave. That is a lot of expensive sick time that Marquette will have to pay its hordes of library staffers, desk receptionists, tour guides, and other workers.

While a few in tough scenarios will be given a little relief, it is likely that many will take advantage of this new ordinance, resulting in enormous costs to employers. This one-size-fits-all ordinance is not a good solution to helping Milwaukee's working population. Instead, it will likely hurt local business and in turn, hurt local citizens more than it helps them.

Legislation is best left to our elected legislators. Had this change been pursued by the Common Council, the political wrangling would have worked to help iron out details and answer many of the questions that are now being raised about implementation. Since the paid sick leave ordinance was pursued by 9to5 under a seldom-used Wisconsin direct legislation law, the City of Milwaukee could either pass the ordinance with no changes, or leave it up to voters to give the thumbs up or thumbs down.

As we watch the legal battle over the paid sick leave ordinance play out, we will be cheering for MMAC. Examples raised just by looking at campus employment point out room or abuse and the sheer cost of the ordinance. Paid sick leave for all may be a good goal to pursue on the national level in the future, but in the current economic situation, it is a bad move for Milwaukee.