Family Sick Law
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated employers provide eligible employees up to 12 working weeks annually of unpaid leave for reasons such as the birth of a child or a serious health condition. The law applied to businesses with 50 or more employees.
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Requirements
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To be eligible for 12 weeks of leave, an employee must have one of several qualifying conditions: the birth of a child and care of a newborn; placement of a son or daughter in foster care adoption; caring for an immediate family member with a serious health condition or when the employee is unable to work due to serious health issues.
Considerations
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According to "Working Mother" magazine, some 42 percent of the U.S population was not eligible for the FMLA protections as of 2010 due to the limit of 50 or more employees. The U.S. Congress in 2010 was considering legislation to expand the eligibility of the FMLA to include companies with 25 or more employees.
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Updates
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In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act which allowed parents, children or spouses of National Guard members or military reservists with 12 weeks of available unpaid leave to take care of a "qualifying exigency." This included circumstances such as a member of the National Guard or military reserves undergoing medical treatment.
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References
- "Working Mother": 2010 Best of Congress: A More Inclusive FMLA; Katherine Bowers.
- U.S. Department of Labor: Family and Medical Leave Act.
- National Center for Policy Analysis: Workplace Flexibility versus Unpaid Leave; Terry Neese, Michelle Heinen and Daniel Wityk; June 2009.
- U.S. Department of Labor: The Family and Medical Leave Act and National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008.
