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The White House
Millions of
Americans face these choices every day
Have you ever felt that sinking feeling of sending your child off to
school with a fever because you truly had no other option?
Showed up to work while battling an illness even when you know you
won't be at your best, that you'll take longer to recover, and that
you'll likely spread your sickness to others?
Felt like you'd missed out on pivotal moments -- bonding with a
newborn, spending quality time caring for an aging parent -- all
because you could not afford to miss a few days of work?
You're not alone. Millions of Americans who are supporting a family
while holding down a job face tough choices every day, and likely feel
stretched between the financial and personal needs of their family.
And here's what we know: Today, 43 million private-sector workers in
the U.S. are without any form of paid sick leave. Only three states --
California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island -- offer paid family and
medical leave. The United States remains the only developed country in
the world that does not offer paid maternity leave.
I'm writing to make sure you know that President Obama is acting today
to help do something about that.
Ahead of his State of the Union address on Tuesday, the President is
announcing several initiatives that will spur action and empower
working parents in both their roles as workers and parents. He's
calling 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. He'll help states and municipalities create and manage their
own paid leave programs. And he's signing a Presidential Memorandum
that will ensure that most federal employees have access to at least
six weeks of paid sick leave when a new child arrives by allowing new
parents to advance sick leave -- and also proposing that Congress offer
six weeks of paid maternity and paternity leave as well.
These steps will be a big part of what the President is doing to help
working families in 2015. If you agree, say you're in and join us at 9
p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, January 20 to see what the President has
planned for this year.
These steps build on the progress we made at the first-ever White House
Summit on Working Families this summer -- and they reflect the stories
so many of you shared about the obstacles you face every day. As one
mother from Missouri said, "Because the livelihood of our household is
completely dependent on me there is a LOT of pressure to be at work
every second I can. I am plagued with the moral dilemma of being at
work and missing out on doctors' appointments, school programs, and
classroom parties or missing work and creating even more of a financial
hardship."
Another hardworking women from Delaware told us, "I work in an office
with 14 other women, many of whom are single moms, and some of whom
have no back-up when their children become ill. Our company allots no
sick or personal days, so these moms must either use one of the 10 days
they are given for vacation per year, or, if they have no vacation days
left, they must send their sick child to school/daycare and hope they
don't get a call in the middle of the day."
Fixing these challenges won't just make life better for millions of
American families. It will ultimately improve the financial bottom
lines of the companies that choose to step up and make a change on
their own.
Let's make that happen now. If you're an employer, ask yourself what
you're doing for your workers on paid sick days and paid leave. If
you're looking for a job or have one, consider what changes like these
would mean for your success -- at work, and at home.
And if you're setting your schedule, make sure you're planning to watch
the President's State of the Union address this Tuesday to learn more
about the actions he's taking on behalf of working families across this
country.
President Obama is committed to ensuring that we maintain the
strongest, most skilled, and most productive possible workforce for the
21st century. That will begin with strong families, and workplaces
filled with loyal and empowered workers. Today's action is a step
toward that goal, and everyone has a role to play.
Thanks,
Valerie Jarrett
Senior Advisor
The White House
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