On January 22, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order that takes steps toward a $15/hour minimum wage for federal employees and employees of federal contractors.

President Biden instructed the federal government that it “should only award contracts to employers who give their workers the pay and benefits they have earned.”  Though an Executive Order has not been issued that makes substantive changes to pay, President Biden has specifically directed his administration to “start the work that would allow him to issue an Executive Order within the first 100 days that requires federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage and provide emergency paid leave to workers.”  He also directed “the Office of Personnel Management to develop recommendations to pay more federal employees at least $15 per hour.” 

We will likely see more substantive changes in the next four months, but for now President Biden’s initial executive directives show a commitment to raising wages for many employees of the federal government and federal contractors.