Voters support an anti-bullying bill but oppose mandated sick days, a poll shows.

The survey by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling found that 69 percent of likely voters supported a bill that would "require schools to protect children from bullying, including harassment based on their race, sexual orientation, and other categories."

Thirty-nine percent opposed the bill as described.

A similar survey by Public Policy Polling last year found 72 percent in support of the measure.

The poll also found that 65 percent of likely voters did not think the state should mandate paid sick leave, as has been proposed in a second bill. Only 35 percent supported it.

"North Carolinians think that benefits should be determined by employers and employees on a case by case basis," said company president Dean Debnam.

The automated survey of 1,000 North Carolina voters was conducted March 12-15. It has a margin of error of plus orminus 3.1 percentage points.

The benefits of requiring paid sick days for workers would offset the costs by improving public health and employee retention, supporters of state legislation that would require such time said this morning.

A House bill would make employers provide up to seven days of paid sick time per year so that workers can tend to illness without fear of losing income, Jonathan Cox reports.

Forty-two percent of workers in North Carolina, or 1.6 million people, lack such a benefit, according to numbers provided by the N.C. Justice Center, which advocates for the poor and is pushing for passage of the legislation.

"Everyone gets sick," said Rep. Alma Adams, a Guilford County Democrat and primary sponsor of the legislation. "Unfortunately, not everyone has a fair chance to get better."

Employers, though, say that imposing such a mandate would cause an onerous burden, especially during the grips of severe recession.

"Small businesses are struggling so much right now," said Gregg Thompson, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. "That additional expense could be very damaging."