Issue
Executive Order 13706, issued by President Obama, requires federal contractors to provide paid sick leave to their employees. The proposed rule implements the executive order and establishes the parameters of paid leave available to contractors’ employees.
Impact
The proposed rule will impact many LGBT employees who currently receive no or minimal paid sick leave. An estimated 33,200 LGBT workers are among those impacted, including 17,500 who do not have access to any paid sick leave and 15,700 who currently have access to minimal paid sick leave. The proposed rule would also impact other LGBT employees who currently have access to paid sick leave but are not permitted to use leave to care for family members.
Summary
The comment addresses the importance of access to paid sick leave for LGBT employees and their families. The comment outlines three groups of LGBT employees of federal contractors most significantly affected by the rule: those who currently have access to no or minimal paid sick leave, those who have access to paid sick leave but cannot use the time to care for a family member, and those who are survivors of intimate partner violence and may use sick time to seek services and relocation. The comment concludes that tens of thousands of LGBT people will benefit from the rule.