Dive Brief:
- The White House has drafted an executive order that will force any company that contracts with the federal government to offer at least 56 hours (about one week) of paid sick leave to its employees, according to the New York Times. The paid leave must also accrue year to year.
- The provision is meant to protect workers that are sick, are seeking medical attention or need to care for a sick family member, and could affect hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the U.S.
- Paid sick leave has gathered steam throughout the country, with some states and cities beginning to pass paid sick leave laws. The Senate voted to include a bi-partisan approved paid sick leave policy in a budget blueprint, but that vote was non-binding, according to the Times. No legislation has recieved a hearing since then.
Dive Insight:
Like many of the laws passed in states and cities, employers cannot force employees to find a replacement. However, “implementation of the order would have no impact on longstanding requirements that federal contractors pay the “prevailing wage” of the area where the work is being done,” according to the Times.
About 44 million people, or 39% of the private sector workforce, have no paid sick leave, according to a recent blog posted by the Labor Department. But the pendulum is certainly starting to swing the way of paid leave. Employers will want to keep adrift of local and national votes on this topic in order to remain compliant and efficient.
