Philadelphia City Council members voted in favor of paid sick days Thursday morning with a 14-2 vote.
"This is what democracy looks like," supporters chanted following the bill's approval.
"Hundreds of thousands of Philadelphia families can rest a little easier today knowing that catching a flu won't mean losing pay or losing their jobs anymore," said Kati Sipp, Director of Pennsylvania Working Families.
The vote in favor of paid sick days means that some small business owners in Philadelphia will have to offer sick leave to employees.
Democratic Councilman William Greenlee says 200,000 Philadelphia residents don't have paid sick leave. That's 40 percent of the workforce in one of the biggest U.S. cities. Advocates say it includes restaurant workers along with single mothers, college students and people starting out in the workforce.
The new law provides an hour of paid sick leave per 40 hours of work and applies to businesses with at least 10 employees.
Three states and 20 other cities have passed similar legislation.
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the law takes effect in 90 days.
