As first reported in the New York Times today, the White House, in connection with the U.S. Department of Labor, is working on an executive order requiring federal contractors to provide paid sick leave to their workers. While a copy of the order was not made available, the article detailed some of the elements of the “pre-decisional and deliberative” draft, including the requirement that employers pay for up to a minimum of 56 hours a year for sick leave. As currently drafted, the required leave would not be solely for an employee’s personal illness but would cover caring for others, including domestic partners.
Despite its draft form, the Executive Order noted regulations would be issued by the Secretary of Labor by Sept. 30, 2016. With the Executive Order not yet finalized, it remains to be seen if this date will hold true.
This Executive Order would make the sixth employment-related executive action impacting federal contractors in the past 18 months. The other actions include:
