Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis unveiled the details of the labor department’s 2011 budget request that included an overall 2.1 percent reduction in the department’s discretionary budget to $14 billion. The focus for the Department of Labor (DOL) going forward will include everything from worker retraining programs to beefed up protection of workers rights. According to the DOL: Job creation is a top Administration priority as it seeks to spur growth in the U.S. economy. However, it is important to promote the creation of “good jobs,” and the Department of Labor plays a vital role in this goal by serving as a champion for workers’ rights and enforcing statutory rules that protect wages, working conditions, retirement security, and workers’ safety and health. Specifically, “good jobs” are those that can support families by increasing incomes and narrowing wage gaps; jobs that are safe and secure and give people a voice at the workplace and at the table; jobs that are sustainable and innovative; jobs that export products, not paychecks; and, jobs that rebuild and restore a strong middle class. Here are some of the highlights from a Q&A with Solis: * Paid leave : The budget includes $50 million for incentives and start-up funds for states to establish state paid-leave programs. There is an enormous demand for these programs. Nearly half of all private sector workers do not have paid sick leave to care for themselves, and even fewer have leave available to care for another family member when they are ill. Millions of workers risk losing pay and/or their jobs when they are sick or their children are sick. In addition, businesses benefit from these programs. The programs enable them to retain valuable employees, reduce turnover and absenteeism, and increase employee loyalty and morale.

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