In September, the President signed an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to offer their employees up to seven days of paid sick leave per year.  In January, he issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the federal government to advance up to six weeks of paid sick leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child, or for other sick leave eligible uses, and called on Congress to pass legislation giving federal employees six additional weeks of paid parental leave. 


EXPANDING SICK LEAVE 


Guaranteeing Sick Leave for Federal Contract Workers:

An estimated 44 million private sector workers – about 40 percent of the total private-sector workforce – do not have access to paid sick leave.  Low- and middle-income workers are much less likely to have paid sick leave than high-income workers. While roughly 60 percent of workers are eligible under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to take unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical reasons for more extended absences, many workers are without coverage for shorter-term health care needs and others may not be able to afford to stay home sick if it means the loss of pay.

This Executive Order gives approximately 300,000 people working on federal contracts the ability to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave each year. Additional workers will gain access to more sick leave than they had before. Beginning with new contracts in 2017, workers will earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (though contractors would be free to offer more generous amounts at their discretion).

It allows workers to use paid sick leave to care for themselves, a family member, such as a child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner, or another loved one, as well as for absences resulting from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
It improves the health and performance of employees of federal contractors and bring benefits packages offered by federal contractors in line with leading firms, ensuring they remain competitive in the search for dedicated and talented employees.
The Executive Order also protects the public health of employees of federal contractors, their customers, and clients by ensuring employees are allowed to stay home when they have communicable diseases.