President Obama's Weekly Address 10/1/16: It’s Time to Give Families Access to Paid Sick Leave

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, President Obama discussed the importance of ensuring that American families have access to paid leave. Today, millions of Americans do not have access to paid sick leave and have to face tough choices when their families face illness – choices that could risk their jobs or their health. The President has repeatedly called on Republicans in Congress to pass a law guaranteeing most workers the chance to earn seven days of paid sick leave each year. To this day, no action has been taken in the Republican Congress. But, that hasn’t stopped the President from taking action where he can to help more Americans access paid sick time, and starting January 1st, federal contractors will be required to give their employees working on new federal contracts up to seven paid sick days each year. That’s because paid leave isn’t something that just nice to have – it’s a must have.

Pallone Statement on Rule Requiring Sick Leave for Workers on Federal Contracts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2016

Long Branch- Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement on the Obama administration’s rule requiring federal government contractors to provide paid sick leave to their workers. The new rule will provide additional paid sick leave to an estimated 1.15 million people working as federal contractors, including an estimated 600,000 employees who currently receive no paid sick leave.

“I applaud the Obama administration for taking an important to ensure over a million additional Americans will have paid sick leave. These workers will now be able to take much needed time to recover from an illness or care for a loved one.

“The overwhelming majority of industrialized countries require paid sick leave and we should now work to make it available to the 41 million Americans workers who go without it. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Healthy Families Act, which would allow workers to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.”