New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce legislation today guaranteeing two weeks of paid time off for all workers, one day after he announced a plan to provide health care for all city residents.
If DeBlasio’s proposal is approved by the City Council, New York City would become the first and only American city to require paid vacation for workers. The proposal is expected to impact at least 500,000 people. The measure would exempt businesses with fewer than five employees.
On Tuesday, DeBlasio unveiled NYC Care, a program will guarantee health care for the estimated 600,000 New Yorkers who do not currently have health insurance, according to the mayor’s office. Undocumented immigrants will also be included in the plan.
In a press conference at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx on Tuesday, de Blasio said the new healthcare program, NYC Care, will give New York City “the most comprehensive health system in the nation” when it is fully implemented. An estimated 600,000 New Yorkers do not currently have health insurance, according to the mayor’s office. Undocumented immigrants will also be included in the plan. De Blasio said NYC Care would work on a “sliding scale” where “people will pay what they can” for care.
