Blog: Taking the Next Step to Lead on Leave

Statement

As summer winds down, parents and kids across the country are getting back into the swing of packing lunches, finding backpacks, and trying to get out the door on time. Chaos reigns as dad races the clock to get them on the bus. And then, he hears it --that dreaded cough-sniffle-sneeze combination. He does the forehead test and his worst fears are confirmed. No way is little Johnny climbing aboard a bus full of kids this morning.

Fortunately, dad's employer has a paid sick time policy so he calls his boss, the school, and puts Johnny back to bed to rest and recover for the rest of the day, hoping he won't have to pay a visit to the pediatrician as well. Pretty standard, right? Sure. Except if you are one of the 40 million Americans not able to earn or accrue paid sick time. For those workers, that sick day just became a leave-without-pay day, which means a smaller paycheck at the end of the week. A doctor's bill and less pay? Talk about adding insult to injury.

Everyone gets sick. It's a fact of life. So how is it that in the most advanced nation in the world, workers still aren't guaranteed the paid sick leave they need to get better and come back to work? That's not the American way, and Congress should act to correct this reality by passing The Healthy Families Act. States and cities across the U.S. are moving the needle on this issue, and it's time our federal policies fall in step.

While Congress stalls, the president is working to improve the benefits for workers whose employers contract with the federal government. On Monday, he signed an executive order that would enable about 300,000 workers on federal contracts to earn up to seven paid sick days per year. Workers could use this earned sick time to care for themselves, a family member, such as a child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner, or another loved one. It would also allow workers to use paid sick time for absences resulting from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Doing business with the federal government is a privilege, and this executive order holds our federal contractors to the high standards of worker protections that the American people expect from their government. As the leader of the nation's largest employer, the president wants this kind of increased productivity and value for the American taxpayer. It will increase productivity and employee retention, helping ensure that the government gets more value for its money.

Furthermore, paid sick leave provides important benefits for public health and child development. Workers who cannot take sick leave may transmit illness to their customers and coworkers. And they might send sick children to school if they can't afford to lose wages by staying home. They might not be able to make sure that they or their children get important check-ups and preventative care without risking losing their jobs. We can do better, and with federal contractors as a model, we hope that Congress will follow suit.

I've traveled all around the country talking to employers who already provide their employees with paid sick leave. For them, this is not a matter of charity. It's enlightened self-interest. They know that employees who can take the time to get better come back to work faster, and are more focused on their job, which helps the bottom line. They also spend less money on turnover costs, because workers who are cared for stay in jobs longer. It's just common sense.

The president is taking action where Congress won't, and now hundreds of thousands more Americans don't have to worry about paying the electric bill when they or a family member gets sick. I can think of no better way to celebrate a new school year and Labor Day this year.

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