Around 600,000 workers will soon benefit from paid sick leave

President Obama announced on Thursday, September 29 that his administration will be implementing a new rule to extend sick leave to almost 600,000 workers who currently lack the benefit. Workers will now be earning up to seven sick days in a year.

In an interview with Slate, Obama outlined the importance of the new rule, saying: “It will give additional paid sick leave to more than 1.1 million federal contract workers in the first five years, including nearly 600,000 who currently receive no paid sick leave at all.”

“Since I first called on them to act, we’ve seen four states pass paid leave laws. Over 25 locations have taken action on paid sick leave and 22 localities took action on paid family leave. California, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont have all passed bills concerning this issue, joining Connecticut, which did so in 2011. Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Paul have joined also trailblazers like San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, and the District of Columbia in requiring paid sick leave for folks working in their cities. Businesses have heeded the call, too, and some businesses now require their suppliers to provide paid sick leave as well.”

Our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm can provide legal services to our clients in Austin and other areas of Texas, handle employment law cases such as retaliation and wage disputes cases, among other things. Speak with a qualified member of our legal team by calling our offices today at (512) 330-0017.