One of the most pieces of legislation affecting families and individuals in the United States is the Family and Medical Leave Act, passed during the presidency of Bill Clinton. This was the first law signed by President Clinton after he took office in 1993 (Lenhoff, 2004.) FMLA is important for many reasons, because many people have to take time from their jobs for health reasons or to take care of loved ones; while coping with these crises, they should not also be plagued by worries about whether or not they will be able to resume working at the same job after taking time off. In addition, employers must have parameters about the rights of their employees as well as having clearly defined standards about which companies are affected by these labor issues. This paper will take the position that family medical leave needs to be expanded to cover a larger pool of workers then those workers who are currently included. This argument is designed to have an impact on stakeholders are in a position to make decisions about the ways to accommodate medical leaves of employees: legislators, caregivers, and employers. It will be addressed by researching available data about the requirements of FMLA as well as examining opinions about the issue.
President Clinton signed the Family Medical Leave Act into law because he wanted to accommodate the changing patterns of working families, including the entrance of so many women into the workplace including single mothers who had to support their families (Clinton, 2013.) In response to changing social conditions, FMLA permits eligible employees who work for covered employers to take on page, job-protected leave for specific family and/or medical reasons (The Family and Medical Leave Act, 2012.) The Act covers employers in the private sector who have 50 or more employees that have worked for at least 24 weeks; in addition, public agencies that are under the jurisdiction of local, date, or federal governments are included. Public or private elementary or secondary school employees also are able to utilize the Act. Eligible employees work for covered employers, have been employed by that company for at least one year, and must have worked at least 1250 hours. Those employees who meet the criteria may take up to 12 work weeks of leave in a one-year period for reasons including: the birth of a son or daughter, or the welcoming of a foster child or adoption; having to take care of a first-degree relative who had a significant health issue; having a significant health problem that prevents the employee from performing his or her job adequately; and for any situation that originates from having a first-degree relative in the military. In addition, employees that are eligible for the leave may also take as much as 26 weeks of leave during a one-year period to care for a covered service member who has a significant injury or illness (Pay and Leave Act, 2013.)
Since the Family and Medical Leave Act became law, American workers have used it to take leave 100 million times (Bond, 2013.). The people who have taken advantage of the law are mothers caring for their new infants, fathers staying with their children who are undergoing chemotherapy, and adult children taking care of their parents during illnesses and following surgeries. The Act has provided a great deal of peace of mind because whenever someone takes a medical leave under the FMLA, they are secure that their insurance coverage will not be interrupted and they a job to which they will return. Unfortunately, however, FMLA does not meet the needs of a large part of the workforce so that its expansion is desirable. The Act still doesn’t cover about 40 percent of American workers because they do not work full-time or work for companies too small to take advantage of it. Others have not been at their job for at least a year, and in addition many eligible workers don’t take want to utilize the benefit because they cannot afford to take time off without salary (Weiss, 2013.)
The Family Medical Leave Act has been a tremendous asset for individuals and families who have unforeseen circumstances that demand that they take time off from their jobs. Because the American family landscape has undergone so many changes during the last decades, this legislation is made possible to attend to personal demands while having the security of having a job to return to. Because it is been so successful in achieving its mission, it would be extremely beneficial to expand the program to cover more people in an effort to improve conditions for an even larger part of the working public.
- Bond, K. & Dodd , C. (2013, February 6). Family and Medical Leave Act Still Working. Retrieved from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/
- Clinton, B. (2013, February 5). Bill Clinton: Why I Signed a Family and Medical Leave Act. Retrieved from Politico: http://www.politico.com
- Lenhoff, D. (2004). Family and Medical Leave in the United States: Historical and Political Reflections. Minneapolis: After Birth: Policies for Healthy Women, Families, and Work Places.
- Pay and Leave. (2013). Retrieved from Office of Personnel Management: http://www.opm.gov/
- The Family and Medical Leave Act. (2012). Retrieved from the United States Department Of Labor: http://www.dol.gov
- Weiss, J. (2013, February 12). Time to Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act. Retrieved from The Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.com/
