(Washington, DC) -- Staying home when you're sick makes sense but it doesn't always pay the bills.
With H1N1, the message has been clear - stay home so you don't infect co-workers. 

But a lot of workers don't get paid sick leave.

Now  some lawmakers want to take steps to ease the dilemma.  The House has introduced a measure called the Emergency Influenza Act.

If passed, it would guarantee workers with the flu up to seven days of paid leave.

Business leaders like Bruce Clarke of Associated Industries caution forcing companies to follow federal mandates like this could be financially devastating, especially during a recession. "That's a very difficult task, I think what makes it even more difficult to enforce new emergency act like this is that it is new and that for some extended period of time it will not be understood."

The Senate is discussing a similar bill.