President Obama Extends Paid Sick Leave in Honor of Labor Day

Under the new executive order, The White House will grant 300,000 employees under federal contracts up to seven paid sick days per year.

President Obama issues a new executive order.

The president signed the order on Labor Day requiring federal contractors to grant employees with paid sick leave.

300,000 employees who do not currently receive such benefits now have the right to seven paid sick days per year. Workers will earn one hour of leave for every 30 hours worked.

The White House said in a statement:

"Many parents are forced to choose between taking an unpaid day off work -- losing much needed income and potentially threatening their jobs -- and sending a sick child who should be home in bed to school.”

The White House also called on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, requiring private-sector employers with more than 15 employees to extend paid sick leave.

President Obama made the appeal in Boston, receiving applause after announcing he signed the executive order on Air Force One.

The statement will go into effect in 2017—as the President prepares to leave office.

Written by

Kanika Lal

Kanika Lal moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career as a host, writer, and producer. She currently works for Ora TV’s NewsBreaker where she constantly keeps up with the latest stories, writes, and broadcasts them from Ora studios. Kanika began her love for journalism at The Hollywood Reporter as a digital news producer and red carpet correspondent. She had the honor of interviewing Anderson Cooper, John Mayer, Cate Blanchett, and covered the 71st Annual Golden Globes. After a rewarding and solid year, she then took her skills a step closer to her passion: hosting. You can catch her recapping television shows under Maria Menounos’ AfterBuzz TV as well as hosting and producing a Bollywood show for Menounos’ Popcorn Talk network. Kanika thrives on self-expression, and she achieves that through Indian classical and contemporary dance as well as hip-hop. She also has small but growing acting credits under her name, as she strives to branch out creatively. Kanika thrives on discovering hidden stories and engaging with a variety of people. She hopes to have an influence in the world of arts, pop culture, politics, and science.

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