Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Administration’s Paid Leave Expansion, Calls for “Ban the Box” Executive Order

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s signing of an executive order that requires federal contractors to provide employees with up to seven days of paid sick leave per year. The Leadership Conference has also called on President Obama to issue an executive order “banning the box” on job applications for federal agencies and contractors. Today is a National Day of Action for the executive order with actions in 17 cities:

“We applaud the administration for taking action on Labor Day to help ensure that American workers do not have to choose between sacrificing a day’s pay and caring for their own health or the health of a family member or child. This executive order will give 300,000 working Americans the new ability to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave a year and will help protect the health of federal contractors, their customers, and clients.

Expanding paid sick leave is crucial to low-income families, who are often unable to sacrifice a day’s wage when ill. Paid sick leave is also vital for working women, especially women of color, who are more likely to work in jobs that do not offer paid sick leave and are more likely to need time off to care for a sick child. In addition to benefiting working families, a growing body of research has shown that offering paid sick days benefits employers by reducing turnover and increasing productivity.

President Obama should continue his efforts to improve the workplace policies of the federal government and contractors by issuing an executive order that bans the box and implements fair chance hiring practices. The President has verbally endorsed banning the box, but the White House has yet to catch up to the 18 states, 100 cities and counties, and major employers like Starbucks, Walmart, Koch Industries, and Target that have already put this policy in place. Throughout his administration, the President has taken numerous actions to ensure fair workplace practices for Americans. It’s time for him to give millions of Americans a second chance and a fair chance at employment and opportunity.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.