President Obama to push for paid sick leave for American workers

In an announcement made late in the day yesterday on LinkedIn, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, posted that President Obama will call upon Congress today to pass the Healthy Families Act.

More on this push from the President and what it will mean for American business, after the jump…

I’ve blogged about the Healthy Families Act before here. Essentially, the Healthy Families Act would require companies with 15 or more employees to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.

Employees could then use this accrued sick time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner’s parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Many states and cities have already paid sick leave laws. And, of course, many companies provide paid sick leave voluntarily. The Act would not be cumulative. Rather, it would set a floor for qualifying American businesses.

Additionally, the President will sign a Presidential Memorandum to provide federal employees with 6 weeks of paid sick leave after childbirth.

Without using the word “Socialist,” I’m curious to hear what you think about the government’s push for paid sick leave. Let me know in the comments below.