Metro

De Blasio’s sick-day plan will hurt small businesses: foes

Steamed politicians slammed Mayor de Blasio Friday as he moved to make good on a campaign promise to require even the city’s smallest businesses to foot the bill for employees’ sick days.

Accusing Hizzoner of “rushing through potentially devastating legislation,” City Council Minority Leader Vincent Ignizio and Councilman Steven Matteo (R-SI) urged him to “wait and see” how the city’s already-approved sick-leave plan pans out before changing it.

The new law is scheduled to kick in on April 1.

“Why are we expanding the paid-sick-leave bill when the original bill has not even taken effect?” the Staten Island pols demanded, contending de Blasio’s proposal would cripple already struggling small businesses.

De Blasio’s plan, unveiled with Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito at a Bushwick restaurant, would make another 500,000 city workers eligible for paid sick days.

Businesses with as few as five employees would have to offer five paid sick days a year. Previously approved legislation applied only to businesses with 20 or more workers this year and 15 or more next year.

De Blasio’s revised proposal also takes away exemptions for the manufacturing sector and strikes a provision that gave some businesses until 2015 to ­offer coverage.

The more generous plan also extends beyond parents taking tiem off to care for sick kids to include grandparents, aunts, uncles or siblings who act as caregivers.

“Families will be strong­er and more stable because they will have paid-sick-leave coverage,” the mayor said.

The already-approved version of the bill was passed last year under then-Council Speaker Christine Quinn, after much debate and revisions to appease various business sectors.

Ignizio and Matteo argued that de Blasio was asking too much, too soon.

“Under the mandate of a potentially devastating financial burden, many small businesses may be forced to lay off employees or stop hiring altogether,’’ the pols said in a joint statement.

De Blasio said he had no intention of waiting, saying “For a lot of families, losing one day’s pay can set them back.”

De Blasio’s proposed bill needs the approval of the City Council. A large contingent of council members showed up to support the mayor’s changes, making passage likely despite the opposition.

Also Friday, de Blasio identified changes to child-protective-services practices in the wake of the brutal death of a 4-year-old Myls Dobson at a Midtown apartment.

Additional reporting by Yoav Gonen