Obama announces executive order on paid sick leave

President Obama.
(Image credit: Pool/Getty Images)

In Boston on Monday, President Obama announced an executive order requiring that federal contractors offer employees up to seven paid sick days annually.

Obama shared the news at a Labor Day breakfast hosted by the Greater Boston Labor Council, telling the crowd, "Right now, you have parents who have to choose between losing income or staying home with a sick child." For every 30 hours worked, full-time and part-time employees on new contracts starting in 2017 will earn one hour of sick leave, up to a maximum of seven days a year, White House officials said. About 300,000 people could benefit from the order.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.