Valerie Jarrett: Paid Sick Leave Is ‘Good for the Economy’

CAMEROTA Ms Jarrett let ░░░░░░░░ talk about what you ░░░░░░░░ the president will be ░░░░░░░░ on specifically today and ░░░░░░░░ is how to extend ░░░░░░░░ leave for working families ░░░░░░░░ It s interesting I ░░░░░░░░ give you some statistics ░░░░░░░░ parents work in 60 ░░░░░░░░ of families That s ░░░░░░░░ big change since 1965 ░░░░░░░░ it was only 40 ░░░░░░░░ And yet fewer than ░░░░░░░░ percent of working adults ░░░░░░░░ any sick leave any ░░░░░░░░ leave whatsoever And people ░░░░░░░░ sick People have babies ░░░░░░░░ want to spend time ░░░░░░░░ with those babies both ░░░░░░░░ and women We are ░░░░░░░░ increasingly people are responsible ░░░░░░░░ their parents and Elder ░░░░░░░░ is important And so ░░░░░░░░ the president wants to ░░░░░░░░ sure is that for ░░░░░░░░ workers and families we ░░░░░░░░ providing the kind of ░░░░░░░░ that recognize the fact ░░░░░░░░ we don t just ░░░░░░░░ We have family responsibilities ░░░░░░░░ get ill We have ░░░░░░░░ We need to take ░░░░░░░░ of ourselves And so ░░░░░░░░ s supporting the Healthy ░░░░░░░░ Act It s a ░░░░░░░░ currently being considered in ░░░░░░░░ which would provide seven ░░░░░░░░ days paid sick days ░░░░░░░░ every American Right now ░░░░░░░░ 40 million Americans don ░░░░░░░░ have a single day ░░░░░░░░ with pay whether they ░░░░░░░░ sick their child s ░░░░░░░░ their parents are sick ░░░░░░░░ we also want to ░░░░░░░░ paid leave So the ░░░░░░░░ government is contemplating now ░░░░░░░░ policy but let s ░░░░░░░░ wait for them So ░░░░░░░░ president is encouraging states ░░░░░░░░ cities across our country ░░░░░░░░ pass laws that would ░░░░░░░░ both sick time paid ░░░░░░░░ well as family leave ░░░░░░░░ And he s also ░░░░░░░░ a presidential memorandum that ░░░░░░░░ provide federal employees with ░░░░░░░░ ability to advance their ░░░░░░░░ time and take it ░░░░░░░░ paid leave for six ░░░░░░░░ and calling on Congress ░░░░░░░░ pass a Paid Leave ░░░░░░░░ for federal workers as ░░░░░░░░ And the reason why ░░░░░░░░ all of this is ░░░░░░░░ s not just good ░░░░░░░░ workers but it s ░░░░░░░░ for the economy Study ░░░░░░░░ study shows that employers ░░░░░░░░ provide these kinds of ░░░░░░░░ to their employees are ░░░░░░░░ productive and more profitable ░░░░░░░░ it s a small ░░░░░░░░ a large business it ░░░░░░░░ t matter.”