I’ve owned and operated Santé restaurant in downtown Spokane for the past seven years, and with the addition of Common Crumb Bakery, the two businesses now employ roughly 30 people. As we have grown, it is becoming more and more important to me to find ways to communicate to my team members that I appreciate their hard work and care deeply about them and their families. 

One thing I’ve constantly struggled with, as a business owner, is what to leave as is and what to spend time on improving. When I first learned about the city of Spokane’s proposed earned sick and safe leave policy, it struck me as an important benefit to focus on and support. 

I also have a family of my own and understand the unfortunate hardships that sometimes happen to good people. We get sick, injured, or have to take care of an ailing family member, and it always seems to happen at the most inconvenient time. 

If you have been to Santé, you were probably greeted with a “Bonjour!” or “Bienvenue à Santé!” by a jovial, tall French host named Tarig. He is the epitome of professionalism—it is normal for him to arrive to work exactly 20 minutes early, and he has stuck with us through all of our growing pains since our opening. 

A few years ago, his daughter was severely injured. Tarig was by his daughter’s side in the hospital while doctors operated multiple times. It completely devastated our team and the Santé community. I brought him dinners, brought toys for his daughter, met him for coffee, visited at the hospital, and assured him that his job would be waiting when he was ready to return. While we provided him this informal support, we lacked an earned sick and safe leave policy that would have helped cover his living expenses while he was with his daughter. 

At a time when almost 90 percent of the public supports sick and safe leave and new policies are being passed across the country, it’s smart for small business owners to embrace this policy and to make Spokane a leader nationally. Our guests want to know that the people serving them food or taking care of them at the hospital didn’t come to work sick.  

While I was initially concerned about the costs, I was swayed by the often overlooked savings that include reducing costly turnover and accidents in the workplace, as well as improved employee morale and thus the experience of our guests.

The earned sick and safe leave ordinance before the Spokane City Council gives employees confidence and balances the concerns of small business owners. The Spokane Alliance and the City Council have spent months meeting with dozens of business owners to get feedback on crafting a policy. The result is a proposal that is simple, gives employers flexibility, and it’s focused on rewarding employee longevity. 

I hope you will join me in supporting earned sick and safe leave. Together, we can build on the reputation of Spokane as a forward-looking city that truly is “Near Perfect.”

Kate R. Hansen is owner and operations managers of Santé Restaurant & Charcuterie and Common Crumb Artisan Bakery.