The United States is the only industrialized nation without a mandatory minimum employee leave policy. While we don’t work more than every other industrialized country, we work more, on average, than most of them. This puts stress on families when they don’t spend time together and workers when they don’t get time to relax.
We should join the rest of the industrialized world and institute a mandatory leave policy. All full-time workers should be guaranteed a minimum of four weeks. Contractors too should be given paid time off if they work for the same company consistently and reliably. This policy will help create jobs at the margins, decrease stress, and allow people to spend more time with their families.
Problems to be Solved
- checkAmericans don’t have the freedom to take time away from their job for their family or other pursuits.
- I love to work; work is a calling. But studies have shown that Americans would be just as productive if they had more time off. Oftentimes we do our best thinking and reflection when we are away from the office. When I was CEO of a company, I took time off and everyone performed better for it. Strong organizations allow people to step away. Americans would be happier and healthier and have better relationships with more days off and would be just as productive. It's particularly important for contractors, who feel like they can't take a day off without losing earnings as a result.
Goals
- checkImplement a minimum leave policy for full-time workers
- checkGive contractors some paid time away from work
As President I will...
- Advocate for a minimum leave policy of four weeks each year for full-time workers, with exemptions for new companies less than 9 years old and small companies with fewer than 50 employees.
- Contractors who work the equivalent of 40+ hours per week should be entitled to 1 paid week off for every 13 weeks they work for a given company.