Of course… without any input from the legislative branch of our government.

President Obama used Labor Day Monday to unilaterally provide a major new benefit for hundreds of thousands of people, signing an executive order mandating that federal contractors provide up to seven days paid sick leave per year.

The White House estimates some 300,000 people working on federal contracts will gain access to sick leave as a result of the order, and others will see their leave expanded. But the administration offered no estimate of how the benefit would be paid for, and acted on the matter even though legislation to expand paid sick and family leave is going nowhere in Congress.

The Labor Department said any costs would be offset by savings that contractors would see as a result of lower attrition rates and increased worker loyalty, but produced nothing to back that up, according to the Associated Press.