Why Apple: Should Apple Get Paid?

The Family and Medical Leave Act sets regulations for job-protected leave related to family and medical reasons. FMLA applies to organizations with 50 or more employees working within 75 miles of the employee’s worksite (“Employment Laws,” n.d., para. 6). Employees who have been with their current employer for 12 months and who have worked 1250 hours of service in the previous 12 months are eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave through FMLA (“Eligibility Requirements,” Revised 2013). FMLA covers the following leave reasons:

The FMLA entitles eligible employees the ability to take off up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off within a 12-month period with the benefit of job protection upon returning to the company. The time off is subject to specific criteria that must meet federal guidelines. The website www.dol.gov lists these five leave entitlements.

The Family and Medical Leave Act sets regulations for job-protected leave related to family and medical reasons. FMLA applies to organizations with 50 or more employees working within 75 miles of the employee’s worksite (“Employment Laws,” n.d., para. 6). Employees who have been with their current employer for 12 months and who have worked 1250 hours of service in the previous 12 months are eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave through FMLA (“Eligibility Requirements,” Revised 2013). FMLA covers the following leave reasons:

A growing number of states in the United State required a paid leave in addition to the federal regulations; states legislation requires employees to maintain their employment within certain time frame employment in order to accrue the sick leave hours. Additionally, the state’s regulation mandates that employees will not face any retaliation based on their medical condition

If FMLA leave is being taken for the employee’s own or an eligible family member’s serious health condition, or to care for the serious injury or illness of a covered servicemember, the employee must exhaust sick leave balances first, regardless of whether leave is used consecutively, intermittently or on a reduced schedule. The employee will then be required to exhaust vacation leave and compensatory time balances. After the employee has used all paid leave balances, he/she will be placed in a leave without pay status.

Employees who have not worked for a covered employer for more than 12 months or 1,250 hours are deemed not eligible for FMLA. One modification to the policy would be to allow these employees the same benefit as if they have been employed for the 12 months. This would be a positive impact on the policy by giving employees who ordinarily cannot afford to take a leave without pay. Under the FMLA, with the suggested modification, employees could use paid leave. Another positive modification would be to extend the ‘during the 12-month period’ to ‘during the 24-month period’; which states that an employee can only take FMLA once within the 12-month period (for non-military reasons) if the 12 weeks have been exhausted. According to the US Dept. of Labor; “eligible employees may take up to 12 workweeks of leave in a 12-month period” (The Family Medical Leave Act - Wage and Hour Division (WHD), 2012). Some leave may require an employee to use repeated family medical leave such as, caring for a child with a terminal illness (cancer, multiple sclerosis). One modification that could have a negative impact on the modification of FMLA would be if the extended time is approved and the employee uses the paid leave and does not return to work. This would mean that the company, who has held the position for the employee, now has to seek others to fill the position, and the company has lost money. Benefits were paid on behalf of the employee and life insurance policies were kept active. Additional record keeping is required, and coordination of benefits per policies. Other negative impacts from policy modification could include excessive absenteeism, decreased productivity, moral problems, and inability of co-workers to balance their own work and family demands. “Although the FMLA was intended to provide job security, it may have just the opposite effect if excessive absenteeism jeopardizes an employer’s relationships and

There are many different types of qualified leave under the FMLA law. Employees can use family medical leave for the following reasons. The birth of a son or daughter, the placement of a fostered or adopted son or daughter with the employee. To care for a spouse, son, daughter or parent of the employee if they have a serious medical condition that requires doctors care. For the employee if they have a serious medical condition that prevents them from performing their position, and lastly if because of any qualifying exigency (as the Secretary shall, by regulation, determine) arising out of the fact that the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on covered active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty) in the Armed

The FMLA entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/

-Employees who have the following reason should get up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave: own serious illness, birth and adoption, and take care of a seriously ill child, spouse, and parent. (We guarantee your position with no loss of benefits at the end of the leave)

Apple has done well in focusing on the customer’s needs and wants as it is related to the quality of the product or service as well as price.

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave and job protection for childbirth, adoption or foster care; to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, or parent; or for an employee’s own serious illness (Cañas & Sondak, 2011). It also requires that their group health benefits remain intact during the unpaid leave of absence. The employee must have worked for the employer for at least a year and must have earned 1,250 hours of service during the previous 12 months ((Cañas & Sondak, 2011, pg. 70).

3. According to Apple, they have created 1,027,000 jobs which leads to Apple employees create an engaged work environment. Their employees are knowledgeable, approachable, display teamwork, hardworking, dedicated employees. For instance, when you walk into an Apple Store they always greet

The company started off as “Apple Computer,” best known for its Macintosh personal computers (PCs) in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Despite a strong brand, rapid growth, and high profits in the late 1980s, Apple almost went bankrupt in 1996 (Kim & Yoffie, 2010, p.1). This can be explained that Apple has become larger and more significant than other competitors put together in 1980. Because Apple failed to innovate in 1996, the company almost went bankruptcy but eventually Steve Jobs took Apple from bad situation to the company that can make billions of dollars through promoted itself as a hip alternative to other computer brands. Apple highlighted its computers as the world’s “greenest lineup of notebooks” that were energy efficient and used recyclable materials. The goal was to differentiate the Macintosh amid intense competition in the PC industry (Kim & Yoffie, p.4).

was renamed Apple Inc. on January 9, 2007, to reflect its shifted focus towards consumer

As an evolving technology company, Apple is one of the most successful companies in history. In today’s society, we cannot live without Apple products such as the Pad or IPhone. Apple 's success has come at a high cost with regards to safety to the workers of Foxconn, a supplier which makes products for Apple and plenty of other tech giants. As a result, some workers have committed suicide and many riots and fights have broken out.