The Family And Medical Leave Act - 1777 Words

Federal family policies have many components and rules. Each piece can greatly affect several dimensions of life – even if they are unintended. The Family and Medical Leave Act is one example of a policy that influences multiple aspects of life; such as family, finances and economics, and employer attitudes. Through research, we can assess the quality of policies and suggest changes that might be helpful for the entire population. Policy Description and Overview The Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, is â€Å"a federal law that provides unpaid, job-protested leave to eligible employees, both male and female, to care for their families or themselves for specified family and medical conditions†, which was passed in 1993 (Seccombe, 2012, p.†¦show more content†¦In addition, it has been noted that the access and time-span of maternity leave offered by a job greatly affects the amount of time it takes to return to work and future family-work relationships (Guendelman, Goodman, Kharrazi, Lahiff, 2014). Those who were offered more than 12 weeks of maternity leave were more likely to return than those offered less (Guendelman, Goodman, Kharrazi, Lahiff, 2014). Although this policy is highly complex, I chose to focus on impacts on gender roles, maternal health, children’s development, finances, and employer’s attitudes because these were the aspects that seemed to be abundantly clear throughout the research. Impact on Family Maternity leave policies have a significant impact on family roles, postpartum maternal health, and child development. According to Vahration (2009), mothers taking unpaid maternity leave are enforcing traditional gender roles within the family in order to compensate for their husband’s high earnings. Therefore, perpetuating discrimination in the work place by encouraging women, rather than men, to leave and take care of their children. In addition to enforcing gender roles, the Southern Economic Journal (2005) states that a longer maternity leave has a moreShow MoreRelatedFamily Medical Leave Act1995 Words   |  8 PagesThe Family Medical Leave Act The Family Medical Leave Act was passed in 1993 and updated in 2008 and 2009. The law requires employers with 50 or more employees to allow up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. The provision of the law would allow employees who have worked for one year and have worked at least 1,250 hours to use the unpaid leave for family or medical reasons (DeCenzo 267). It is important to note that the employee does not have to work for one year of continuous service, any combination ofRead MoreThe Family Medical Leave Act ( Fmla )1620 Words   |  7 PagesThe Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed with the idea of creating job protected leave when necessary, while also providing employees with the opportunity to balance work, health, and family responsibilities. FMLA is designed to avoid job loss when employees request additional time off in order to treat a critical medical condition or deal with serious family or personal matters. Due to the establishment of FMLA, workers can now maintain empl oyment as they treat qualifying medical conditionsRead MoreAnalysis of the Amended Family and Medical Leave Act Essay852 Words   |  4 PagesOn August 5, 1993 the amended Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), was intended to help employees have a work life balance. This accomplishment placed the United Stated ahead of major barriers for the fair labor laws. Before having the amended FMLA put into place, employees were rarely granted job protection for caring for newborns, relatives and personal medical illness. With the new amended act, it allowed employees to take a leave of absence from their job and allowed protection from beingRead MoreEssay about Family and Medical Leave Act (Fmla)885 Words   |  4 PagesFamily 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 seriousRead MoreEssay about The Ethical Issues Of Family Medical Leave Act1773 Words   |  8 PagesThe Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was eight long years in the making. After many bitter debates between the Republicans and Democrats, Congress passed the Act on February 4, 1993. President Clinton signed the measure into law the following day. The Act became effective on August 5, 1993. The Act required employers with fifty or more employees within a seventy-five mile radius to offer eligible employees up to twelve weeks of unpa id leave during a twelve month period for a variety of medicalRead MoreEmployee Rights And Responsibilities Under The Family Medical Leave Act2290 Words   |  10 PagesBeta Technologies Compliance Policy Employee Rights and Responsibilities under the Family Medical Leave Act FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for the following reasons: †¢ Incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth †¢ To care for employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care †¢ To care for employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition †¢ A seriousRead MoreEssay about The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) 1904 Words   |  8 PagesThe balancing act of family and work can be very difficult at times. At some point in everyone’s life, he or she will need to take time off of work to deal with family matters. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 was created to help employees find a balance between the challenging demands of work and home. This Act allows eligible workers that require time off for personal reasons or family emergencies up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave. During the 1992 presidential campaign, GovernorRead MoreFamily And Medical Leave Act959 Words   |  4 Pagesnot have any legislation that gave employees leave time in case of family or medical emergencies. The only exception was the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1979 that required employers that offered temporary disability programs to cover pregnancy as a disability (â€Å"History of the FMLA Legislation,† n.d.) In early 1993, Congress passed the FMLA and President Bill Clinton signed it, putting into effect in August 1993. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) grants eligible employees of covered employersRead MoreThe Family And Medical Leave Act943 Words   |  4 Pages The Family and Medical Leave Act was introduced by President Bill Clinton in January of 1993. This policy was implemented for Americans to be awarded the opportunity to take time off and care for their new child or sick relative. In order to qualify for this unpaid maternity leave however, an employee must have worked for a business for at least twelve consecutive months, accumulating at least 1,250 hours of work, and be employed by a business who has a minimum staff of fifty employees. Although