Blog Post

Got the Sniffles? Administration Moves Closer to Ensuring You’ve Still Got a Job

It seems obvious that taking time off from work to recover from an illness or take care of a loved one shouldn’t cost a worker his or her job. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many working Americans. About 40 percent of workers are not permitted to earn paid sick days. It’s even worse for low-wage workers—who are disproportionately comprised of women—as only about one-third (31 percent) have access to paid sick days. Because women are still far more likely than men to be primary caregivers for children and other family members in need of care, they’re hit especially hard. Almost one in five working mothers report losing a job due to her own illness or caring for a family member. And without paid time off, too many victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are unable to take the time they need to recover or seek help for their safety and well-being.
This is why we’re thrilled to see the Obama Administration moving forward to implement the President’s Executive Order requiring federal contractors to allow employees to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave a year to care for themselves or their family members.
Today, the Department of Labor issued a proposed rule to implement the Executive Order and provide additional paid sick leave to an estimated 828,000 workers, nearly 437,000 of which currently receive no paid sick leave.
A worker shouldn’t have to risk their livelihood in order to care for herself, a sick child, parent, or spouse. A woman seeking services for abuse shouldn’t have to jeopardize her health and safety in fear of being fired. Paid sick leave not only promotes individual health and well-being, it strengthens the workforce and the economy. Implementing the President’s executive order brings us one step closer to achieving greater public health and a stronger economy for all.