Chances are that your employer’s policy on sick and family leave falls into one of these categories:

• You may use up to X number of sick or personal days each year.
• You can have as many sick or personal days as you like, but use too many and you’ll be looking for another job.
• Hahaha, time off? That’s funny. Now get back to work!
• No, seriously, stop reading this list and get back to work!

A bill being considered in Massachusetts (ooh, spelled that correctly on the first try!) would require all employers–even small businesses–to allow workers to take up to three months of sick or family leave every year.

Even before its ratification (if that ever happens), it’s fairly obvious how such a law would affect businesses in Massachusetts:

• Big businesses. “Meh, we’ll just have one of our 362,000 other employees cover for you while you’re out. Then we’ll fabricate a totally different reason to fire you when you get back.”
• Small businesses. “Okay, we have five employees at our company. If one of them is out for three months a year, that means we’re out tons of hours. How many? Um… let me see… carry the two… hold on, I better talk to Bill in accounting. Wait, what do you mean Bill’s out sick? How can I do math if Bill is out sick??? Our company is ruined!”

Either way, if this law passes in Massachusetts and at least three of the seven other states weighing similar legislation, then you could be out on sick or family leave all 12 months of the year! And still get paid for it! Or something like that.

Edit: Minor spelling correction.