September 16, 2016
By Seve Wishnia and Neal Tepel
President Barack Obama on Sept. 7 signed an executive order that will require federal contractors to give their employees paid sick leave, beginning in 2017. Workers will get seven paid sick days a year, prorated at one hour off for every 30 hours of work.
The order will give sick leave—or time off to take care of ill relatives—to 300,000 workers who now don’t have it. “There are certain Republicans that said we can’t afford to do this,” Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez said. “The Republican party is out of step with similar conservative governments around the world.” Obama announced the move at a Labor Day union rally in Boston, where he got roaring applause when he told the crowd, “If I were looking for a good job that builds security for my family, I would join a union. If I wanted someone to have my back, I would join a union.” Read more
