WASHINGTON — President Obama will sign an executive order Monday requiring federal contractors to give their employees seven paid sick days a year.
It's the latest in a series of presidential actions on workplace issues, as Obama has taken unilateral action to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors, offer paid paternal leave for federal workers and encourage cities and states to enact similar policies.
Obama will announce the executive order in a Labor Day speech to a labor group in Boston, where the City Council passed an ordinance requiring up to six weeks of parental leave in April.
In all, 21 cities, counties and states have enacted paid leave policies since Obama called for local action in his State of the Union address — a key part of a White House effort to work around Congress on the issue.
But many of those city ordinances, like Obama's executive orders, apply only to city employees and contractors, leading to big gaps in who's covered. So Obama will renew his call for has taken as he calls on Congress to pass legislation requiring all businesses with 15 or more employees to offer up to seven paid sick days each year.
Republicans have been lukewarm to that proposal, saying they would burden small businesses that already face too much government regulation.
The executive order will require federal contractors one hour of paid leave to employees working on federal contracts, whether full or part time, up to 56 hours a year. Those workers can use the time to care for themselves or a family member, or for work absences relating from domestic violence, sexual assault,or stalking.
The benefits do not include parental leave, which Obama granted to most federal employees in January.
The White House expects the executive order will help at least 300,000 workers a year, beginning with new federal contracts issued in 2017. It would not say how much the executive order would cost, but insisted that it would pay for itself through increased worker productivity.
Labor Secretary Tom Perez said the nation's paid leave policy is "stuck in the Leave it to Beaver era."
"You shouldn't have to win the boss lottery to have access to paid leave, just as you shouldn't have to win the geographic lottery in order to get a minimum wage that allows you to feed your family," he told reporters Sunday, previewing the president's executive order.
It's the latest in a series of presidential actions on workplace issues, as Obama has taken unilateral action to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors, offer paid paternal leave for federal workers and encourage cities and states to enact similar policies.
Obama will announce the executive order in a Labor Day speech to a labor group in Boston, where the City Council passed an ordinance requiring up to six weeks of parental leave in April.
In all, 21 cities, counties and states have enacted paid leave policies since Obama called for local action in his State of the Union address — a key part of a White House effort to work around Congress on the issue.
But many of those city ordinances, like Obama's executive orders, apply only to city employees and contractors, leading to big gaps in who's covered. So Obama will renew his call for has taken as he calls on Congress to pass legislation requiring all businesses with 15 or more employees to offer up to seven paid sick days each year.
Republicans have been lukewarm to that proposal, saying they would burden small businesses that already face too much government regulation.
The executive order will require federal contractors one hour of paid leave to employees working on federal contracts, whether full or part time, up to 56 hours a year. Those workers can use the time to care for themselves or a family member, or for work absences relating from domestic violence, sexual assault,or stalking.
The benefits do not include parental leave, which Obama granted to most federal employees in January.
The White House expects the executive order will help at least 300,000 workers a year, beginning with new federal contracts issued in 2017. It would not say how much the executive order would cost, but insisted that it would pay for itself through increased worker productivity.
Labor Secretary Tom Perez said the nation's paid leave policy is "stuck in the Leave it to Beaver era."
"You shouldn't have to win the boss lottery to have access to paid leave, just as you shouldn't have to win the geographic lottery in order to get a minimum wage that allows you to feed your family," he told reporters Sunday, previewing the president's executive order.
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