An executive order from the Obama administration mandating 56 hours of paid sick leave for government contractors seems likely to remain intact under the Trump administration, as reported by Bloomberg BNA.
The rule from the Department of Labor was issued in 2016 and applies to more than one million federal contractors. It went into effect for any contracts awarded after the first of this year.
Once the Trump administration took office though, many expected a GOP reversal of the order, and some in the administration early on discussed overturning the rule. But Republicans on the House Education and Workforce Committee decided not to pursue actions that would get rid of the rule, making it seem as though paid sick leave is here to stay — for the time being.
One reason some experts say this might be, is that Trump's daughter, Ivanka, strongly advocates for paid parental leave. GOP leaders and those in the administration also seem to be focusing more on the overtime law passed under Obama, as well as his Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order.
The way the paid sick leave rule stands now, the 56 hours can be used for an employee's health needs, but also to care for a family member who is sick or even to accompany a family member to doctor's appointments and other health related appointments.
Keeping the rule isn't a permanent decision though. Current Labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta is waiting for confirmation from the full Senate, and could take the rule in a different direction if he chooses.
If the rule stays in place, a huge majority of American workers would be happy. Pew released a survey earlier this month that shows 85% of employees who responded to the survey support paid time off for a serious illness, and 69% approve of paid sick leave to help a family member.
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