(Reuters) – President Barack Obama will announce on Thursday a handful of initiatives to boost paid leave and sick time, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said in a statement.
“President Obama will call on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, which would allow millions of working Americans to earn up to seven days a year of paid sick time – and call on states and cities to pass similar laws,” she wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
“The president will outline a new plan to help states create paid leave programs, and provide new funding through the Department of Labor for feasibility studies that will help other states and municipalities figure out the best way to implement programs of their own.”
Obama will also sign a presidential memorandum to ensure federal government workers have the ability to take six weeks of paid sick time upon the birth of a child, she wrote.