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Essay about Family and Medical Leave Act (Fmla)

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Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) What is Family and Medical leave Act (FMLA)? The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that was passed in 1993, is a national policy that grants workers up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave in four situations. These four situations are for pregnancy; to care for an infant, such as newborns, newly-placed foster children, and adoptions; to care for a relative with a serious health condition; or to allow an employee to recover and recuperate from a personal serious health condition. This paper will be discussing the impact of FMLA on employers and the protections provided by this law. (Vikesland, 2009)
Protections Provided by FMLA The FMLA is covered mainly through private-sector employers and public …show more content…

President Bush prior to the passing of FMLA in 1992 vetoed a similar bill which was to suppress the creation of new jobs resulting in the elimination of jobs that already existed. With the election of President Clinton in 1992 assured the passing of FMLA which has been the focal point of Clinton’s campaign. (dol.gov., 2009) The FMLA was the first legislation that Clinton signed after taking office. After that, employers and employees who are supporter of FMLA amended this to make sure it was incorporated in more workplaces and to help provide for paid leave instead of unpaid leave. Employers or employees skeptical of the FMLA focused on current Department of Labor regulations for needless burdens upon employers. The Society for Human Resource Management had arguments regarding the truth and legitimacy of requested leave. With those arguments, there were changes in the policy and procedures of being an employee in a company revisiting regulations. There was also a concern that employment law had failed to account for changes through employers and did not provide enough protection to family life. There were prominent congressional debates over the bill due to the potential loss of an employee/ parent who may be forced to quit their job in order to care for one of the four situations that FMLA covers. Investigators who took a survey of leave not only

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