City Council's paid leave mandate stirs fear among Chicago small business owners

CHICAGO - A victory for Chicago workers could spell trouble for Chicago employers. Many of them say this new ordinance will kill their small business. 

Dobra Bielinski has owned Delightful Pastries on Lawrence for 25 years. But she said this new City Council ordinance is toxic.

"It will kill us," said Bielinski.

The ordinance requires employers to give full-time workers 10 days of paid leave per year starting Jan. 1.

"This is the 17th day I've been working. I work very hard for a living. I try to treat everybody fairly and help out in my community and I feel like this is gonna bring undue hardships and I know they said 50 or more but everybody is gonna be increasing," said Bielinski.

She has between eight and 14 employees, but she says the increased costs will trickle down to small shops like hers.

"They have not considered how this will financially impact businesses and leaving language for businesses to be sued over an hour or two hours of missed pay is a dangerous precedent to be set," Bielinski said.

She says it could put her out of business.

"I'm afraid that this has not been thought out well at all," Bielinski said. "I'm afraid that the alderman and the City Council don't know how to count."

Chicago's 10 paid days off is twice what is required across the rest of the state.

Mayor Brandon Johnson calls the ordinance "a step toward equity in the workplace" and "a work in progress" that could be amended down the road.