Unfortunately, many families are living paycheck to paycheck. This means that once an injury or illness strikes, these families are left without a safety net or paycheck. The Department of Labor estimates that more than one-third of private sector workers do not have access to paid sick leave.
Workers are unable to take time off to visit the doctor or pick up prescriptions. These limitations force workers into the draconian choice between going to work, or caring for a child or elderly parent. These limitations not only impact families but are also a public health hazard. Illnesses that would usually be treated immediately are delayed and risk spreading and affecting more of the community.
But, under the Obama Administration, the federal government is now extending those benefits to all federal contractors. These new rules allow contractors to earn paid sick leave which enables them to avoid those difficult decisions.
Once the rules are fully implemented, more than one million employees will receive paid sick leave benefits? including 600,000 workers who are not covered. The new regulations allow workers to earn up to 56 hours of paid sick leave or receive that amount as a designated sum at the beginning of the year.
If you were denied your right to paid sick leave then you may want to speak to an attorney, you could have actionable employment claims. Employment rights extend beyond receiving adequate pay and overtime. A lawyer can help ensure that all of your rights are respected, including the ones that you may not immediately notice as being violated. You deserve all of your rights, not just some of them.
U.S. Department of Labor, “Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contract Workers,” Tom Perez, September 29, 2016