The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a United States labor law requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected, unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons.[1] The FMLA was a major part of President Bill Clinton's first-term domestic agenda, and he signed it into law on February 5, 1993. The FMLA is administered by the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor.
The FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to care for a new child, care for a seriously ill family member, or recover from a serious illness. The FMLA covers both public- and private-sector employees, but certain categories of employees, including elected officials and highly compensated employees, are excluded or face certain limitations. To be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, have worked at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work for an employer with at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius. Several states have passed laws providing additional family and medical leave protections for workers.
Background
Before the 1992 presidential election, a family medical leave act had been vetoed twice by President George H. W. Bush.[2] After Bill Clinton won the 1992 election, a law protecting family medical leave became one of his major first-term domestic priorities. Rapid growth in the workforce, including a large number of women joining, suggested a federal regulation that would support workers who wanted to raise a family and/or needed time off for illness-related situations.[3] Clinton signed the bill into law on February 5, 1993 (codified under Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)103–3, 29U.S.C.§2601, and 29CFR825), with enforcement of the bill to start on August 5, 1993.
The United States Congress passed the Act with the understanding that "it is important for the development of children and the family unit that fathers and mothers be able to participate in early childrearing ... [and] the lack of employment policies to accommodate working parents can force individuals to choose between job security and parenting."[4] It also stressed the Act was intended to provide leave protection "in a manner that accommodates the legitimate interests of employers."[5]
On December 20, 2019, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020,[6] the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) amended the FMLA to grant federal government employees up to 12 weeks of paid time off for the birth, adoption, or foster of a new child.[7] The law applies to births or placements occurring on or after October 1, 2020.[8]
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 generally applies to employers of 50 or more employees in 20 weeks of the last year. An employee must have worked over 12 months and 1,250 hours in the last year (around 25 hours a week), and they must have worked at a work site where the total number of employees employed by the employer within 75 miles of that work site is at least 50.[10]
For employees with no fixed work site, their work site is considered to be the location where they are assigned as their "home base", where their work is assigned, or where they report.[11] A work site is never considered the employee's home, even if they work from home; in these cases, their worksite is considered the location where they report and that assigns them work.[12] Employees who are not employed in U.S. nor its territories are not counted.[13] For educational institutions, teachers who are employed permanently or under contract are counted even when school is not in session.[14] Work sites include public agencies, including schools and state, local, and federal employers. After a private employer meets the 50 employees in 20 workweeks threshold, the employer continues to be covered by FMLA until the employer no longer has employed 50 employees for 20 workweeks in both the current and the preceding calendar year.[15] The 50-employee threshold does not apply to public agency employees or local educational agencies. There are special hours rules for certain airline employees.[16][17]
The 75-mile radius is measured using the shortest route using surface roads or waterways.[18]
Employees must give employers 30 days' notice if birth or adoption is "foreseeable",[19] and for serious health conditions if practicable. Treatments should be arranged "so as not to disrupt unduly the operations of the employer" according to medical advice.[20]
Along with the 30 days' notice, there are other requirements when seeking the FMLA rights. If an employee wants to leave the first time using their FMLA rights, they must first claim the Family and Medical Leave Act.[21] In the case that an employee were to take FMLA leave again, the same process must proceed.[22]
With the release of employees, there is also a certification. The absence of an employee due to the conditions they may have may require certification as proof of the verification of absence.[22] To certify an employee's leave, the employer may ask for other requirements, such as multiple medical opinions. All these prerequisites are at the employer's expense. Certain additional rules may apply to employees of local education agencies.[22]
In most of the United States, employers and employees cannot refuse the application of the FMLA to FMLA-qualifying absences.[23] But since Escriba v. Foster Poultry Farms, Inc., 743 F.3d 1236, 1244 (9th Cir. 2014),[24] in those states under the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit, an "employee can affirmatively decline to use FMLA leave, even if the underlying reason for seeking the leave would have invoked FMLA protection."[24]
Rights during leave
Employees can have up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for childbirth, adoption, to care for a close relative in poor health, or because of an employee's own poor health.[25] In full, the purposes for leave are:
to care for a new child, whether for the birth, the adoption, or placement of a child in foster care;
to care for a seriously ill family member (spouse, son, daughter, or parent) (Note: Son/daughter has been clarified by the Department of Labor to mean a child under the age of 18 or a child over the age of 18 with a mental or physical disability as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which excludes, among other conditions, pregnancy and post-partum recovery from childbirth);[26]
to recover from a worker's own serious health condition;
to care for an injured service member in the family;
to address qualifying exigencies arising out of a family member's deployment; or
twenty-six work weeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember's spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).[27]
A serious health condition may be an illness, injury, impairment, physical condition, or mental condition that involves inpatient care or involves continuing treatment by a health care provider.[28] A health condition is considered serious if it involves an overnight stay in a medical facility or if it requires continuing treatment by a health care provider.[28]
Child care leave should be taken in one lump, unless an employer agrees otherwise.[29] If a father and mother have the same employer, they must share their leave, in effect halving each person's rights, if the employer so chooses.[30]
Employers must continue to provide all employment benefits during the leave that the employee had accrued prior to the leave.[31] Under §2652(b) states are empowered to provide "greater family or medical leave rights".
Since 2008, the Department of Labor has allowed the spouse, child, or parent of an active-duty military member who is deployed overseas for 12 or more months to take up to 12 weeks of leave. Also, a military caregiver provision was added that would allow a caregiver to take up to 26 weeks of leave in order to actively care for a military member who requires medical attention for acute or ongoing conditions.[32]
Substitute leave
Under §2612(d)(2)(A) an employer can make an employee substitute the right to 12 unpaid weeks of leave for "accrued paid vacation leave, personal leave or family leave" in an employer's personnel policy. Originally the Department of Labor had a penalty to make employers notify employees that this might happen. However, five judges in the US Supreme Court in Ragsdale v Wolverine World Wide, Inc held that the statute precluded the right of the Department of Labor to do so. Four dissenting judges would have held that nothing prevented the rule, and it was the Department of Labor's job to enforce the law.[33]
Right to return to job
After unpaid leave, an employee generally has the right to return to their job, except for employees who are in the top 10% of highest paid and the employer can argue refusal "is necessary to prevent substantial and grievous economic injury to the operations of the employer."[34] In full, the rights during and after unpaid leave are to:
the same group health insurance benefits, including employer contributions to premiums, that would exist if the employee were not on leave.
restoration to the same position upon return to work. If the same position is unavailable, the employer must provide the worker with a position that is substantially equal in pay, benefits, and responsibility.
protection of employee benefits while on leave. An employee is entitled to reinstatement of all benefits to which the employee was entitled before going on leave.
protection of the employee to not have their rights under the Act interfered with or denied by an employer.
protection of the employee from retaliation by an employer for exercising rights under the Act.
intermittent FMLA leave for their own serious health condition, or the serious health condition of a family member. This includes occasional leave for doctors' appointments for a chronic condition, treatment (e.g., physical therapy, psychological counseling, chemotherapy), or temporary periods of incapacity (e.g., severe morning sickness, asthma attack).[35]
"Highly compensated employees" have limited rights to return to their jobs. They are defined as "a salaried eligible employee who is among the highest paid 10 percent of the employees employed by the employer within 75 miles of the facility at which the employee is employed."[36] Their employers are not required to restore them to their original position (or an equivalent position with equivalent pay and benefits, as is guaranteed to other employees) if the employer determines that denying the employee their position is "necessary to prevent substantial and grievous economic injury to the operations of the employer" [36] and the employer provides the worker with notice of this decision, though no time frame for providing this notice is established.
Enforcement
Employees or the Secretary of Labor can bring enforcement actions,[37] but there is no right to a jury for reinstatement claims. Employees can seek damages for lost wages and benefits, or the cost of child care, plus an equal amount of liquidated damages unless an employer can show it acted in good faith and reasonable cause to believe it was not breaking the law.[38] There is a two-year limit on bringing claims, or three years for willful violations.[39]
Non-eligible workers and types of leave
The federal FMLA does not apply to:
workers in businesses with fewer than 50 employees (this threshold does not apply to public agency employers and local educational agencies as they are covered employers by name but there still must be at least 50 employees with a 75-mile radius for the employee to be eligible for FMLA leave[22]);
part-time workers who have worked fewer than 1,250 hours within the 12 months preceding the leave and a paid vacation;
workers who need time off to care for seriously ill elderly relatives (other than parents), unless the relative was acting in loco parentis at the time the worker turned 18;[40][41]
workers who need time off to recover from short-term or common illness like a cold, or to care for a family member with a short-term illness;
elected officials;
workers who need time off for routine medical care, such as check-ups; and
workers who need time off to care for pets.
State family leave
Some states have enacted laws that mandate additional family and medical leave for workers in a variety of ways. By 2016 four states had laws for paid family leave: California since 2002, New Jersey since 2008, Rhode Island since 2013, New York since 2016, and the District of Columbia since 2019.[42][43] Washington state passed a paid family and medical leave law in 2007, but the law has not taken effect due to a lack of funding mechanism.[44][45]
Dropping the employer threshold
The federal FMLA only applies to employers with 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Some states have enacted their own FMLAs that have a lower threshold for employer coverage:
Maine: 15 or more employees (private employers)[46] and 25 or more (state or municipal employers).[47]
Maryland: 15 or more employees (private employers): up to seven days for bone marrow donation, 30 days for organ donation.[48][49]
Oregon: 25 or more employees. An employee must have worked at least 180 days, and averaged 25 hours per week at the time medical leave is requested[51][52]
Rhode Island: 50 or more employees (private employers)[53] and 30 or more employees (public employers).[54]
Vermont: 10 or more employees (parental leave only)[55] and 15 or more employees (family and medical leave).[56]
Washington: 50 or more employees (FMLA reasons besides insured parental leave);[57] all employers are required to provide insured parental leave.[58][59]
The federal FMLA only applies to immediate family—parent, spouse, and child. The 2008 amendments to the FMLA for military family members extend the FMLA's protection to next of kin and to adult children. The Department of Labor on June 22, 2010, clarified the definition of "son and daughter" under the FMLA "to ensure that an employee who assumes the role of caring for a child receives parental rights to family leave regardless of the legal or biological relationship" and specifying that "an employee who intends to share in the parenting of a child with their same sex partner will be able to exercise the right to FMLA leave to bond with that child."[61]
In February 2015, the Department of Labor issued its final rule amending the definition of spouse under the FMLA in response to the decision in United States v. Windsor, effective March 27, 2015.[62] The revised definition of "spouse" extends FMLA leave rights and job protections to eligible employees in a same-sex marriage or a common-law marriage entered into in a state where those statuses are legally recognized, regardless of the state in which the employee works or resides.[63] Even if an employee works where same-sex or common law marriage is not recognized, that employee's spouse triggers FMLA coverage if the employee married in a state that recognized same-sex marriage or common law marriage.[64] Some states had already expanded the definition of family in their own FMLAs:
California: Domestic partner and domestic partner's child.[65]
Hawaii: Grandparent, parent-in-law, grandparent-in-law[68] or an employee's reciprocal beneficiary.[69]
Maine: Domestic partner and domestic partner's child,[70] siblings.[71]
Maryland: Allows the employee to use time for immediate family under the same rules if taking it for themselves. Includes step, adopted and even people who were primary caregivers even if not related.[72]
New Jersey: Civil union partner and child of civil union partner,[73] parent-in-law, step parent.[74]
Oregon: Domestic partner,[75] grandparent, grandchild or parent-in-law.[76]
Rhode Island: Domestic partners of state employees, parent-in-law.[77]
Vermont: Civil union partner,[78] parent-in-law.[79]
District of Columbia: Related to the worker by blood, legal custody, or marriage; person with whom the employee lives and has a committed relationship; child who lives with employee and for whom employee permanently assumes and discharges parental responsibility.[81]
Increasing the uses for FMLA leave
FMLA leave can be used for a worker's serious health condition, the serious health condition of a family member, or upon the arrival of a new child. State FMLA laws and the new military family provisions of the FMLA have broadened these categories:
Maine: Organ donor;[83] death of employee's family member if that family member is a servicemember killed while on active duty.[84]
Maryland: Maryland Family Leave Act (MFLA) – Organ donor, Person Standing in Loco Parentis, For Service Leave, and added a specific anti-retaliation penalty on top of FMLA recovery. Runs parallel to FMLA.
Oregon: Care for the non-serious injury or illness of a child requiring home care.[85]
Unpaid leave for other related purposes
Several states have passed FMLA-type statutes to give parents unpaid leave for other related purposes, including:
Attending child's school or educational activities. Examples include California,[86] District of Columbia,[87] Massachusetts,[88] Minnesota,[89] Rhode Island,[90] Vermont,[91] and others.
Taking family members to routine medical visits. Massachusetts[92] and Vermont.[93]
Addressing the effects of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault. Examples include Colorado,[94] Florida,[95] Hawaii,[96] and Illinois.[97]
Significance
In 2003, Han and Waldfogel found that "only about 60% of private sector workers are covered" [98] due to the clause stipulating a minimum number of employees, and once the clause stipulating a minimum number of hours worked is added, only 46% of private sector workers are eligible for leave under the FMLA. In June 2007, the Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration estimated that of 141.7 million workers in the United States, 94.4 million worked at FMLA-covered worksites, and 76.1 million were eligible for FMLA leave. Only eight to 17.1 percent of covered, eligible workers (or between 6.1 million and 13.0 million workers) took FMLA leave in 2005.[99] The 2008 National Survey of Employers found no statistically significant difference between the proportion of small employers (79%) and large employers (82%) that offer full FMLA coverage.[100] A 2012 Department of Labor study which was assisted through workplace surveys found that "employees' use of leave, and employers' granting and administration of leave, have achieved a level of stability. Employees actively make use of the intended benefits established by the Act, but appear to have limited knowledge of what the Act specifically entails and covers. At the same time, most employers report that complying with the FMLA imposes minimal burden on their operations, although a subset of employers reported difficulty complying."[101]
Although much of the research has been conducted on populations in other countries,[102] Berger et al.[103] found that children in the United States whose mothers return to work within the first 3 months after giving birth are less likely to be breastfed, have all of their immunizations up to date (by 18 months), and receive all of their regular medical checkups; they are also more likely to exhibit behavioral problems by four years of age. Chatterji and Markowitz [104] also found an association between longer lengths of maternity leave and lesser incidence of depression among mothers.
In spite of the FMLA's lack of requirements to provide paid leave, the 2012 Department of Labor study found that by that point in time, most employees who were surveyed reported receiving some sort of paid leave, with 48% reported as receiving full pay and another 17% receive partial pay, usually but not exclusively through regular paid vacation leave, sick leave, or other "paid time off" hours.[101] However, despite the FMLA's expansion of rights to take leave, it did guarantee a right to free child care or day care at the federal level. This has encouraged several proposals to create a public system of free child care, or for the government to subsidize parents' costs.[105]
Controversy
The act was controversial at its passage. Much of the controversy focused on its impact on the business community, and on whether the law should be gender neutral or not.[106] In order to make the law more acceptable, it was argued that the law would reduce abortions.[106] Proponents of the law focused on its benefit to men and children, in order to counter the claim that it was giving women "special treatment."[106] Other controversies focused on whether the leave should be paid or not.[106]
The law was finally approved, mandating unpaid gender-neutral leave; nevertheless it was still criticized. Critics of the act have suggested that by mandating various forms of leave that are used more often by female than male employees, the Act, like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, makes women more expensive to employ than men. They argue that employers will engage in subtle discrimination against women in the hiring process, discrimination which is much less obvious to detect than pregnancy discrimination against the already hired. Throughout history, gender discrimination towards women was common; certain laws were placed that would restrict a woman's option in choosing a working position, as well as, how many hours she could work[106] ei. Employers Supporters counter that the act, in contrast to the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, is aimed at both women and men, and is part of an overall strategy to encourage both men and women to take family-related leave.[107] However, this is based on the assumption that men will take advantage of the opportunity of unpaid leave at comparable rates to women. According to Grossman, there is no basis for this assumption upon the inception of the legislation and no evidence has been found today to support this assumption. Therefore, the employer incentive to prefer male employees is preserved despite the equal opportunity for both sexes to take leave.[108]
Moreover, the FMLA is much less comprehensive than Western European leave policies. Namely, the United States is the only industrialized country without paid leave for parents. This illustrates the lack of provisions offered in the United States as compared to that of other industrialized countries. For instance, all Western European nations have maternity paid leave and over half have paternity and sick child care paid leave, while the United States has no paid leave.[109]
Additionally, workplace fairness has been questioned under the Act. For instance, any woman-specific benefits provided by the legislation were considered special treatment and thus unacceptable, and ignoring the idea that women may have a greater share of burden of caregiving in reality. In retort, supporters may argue that creating such legislation that recognizes the female's greater role in child care, stereotype would be reinforced.[110]
The success of the implementation of the policy is also controversial because it is questioned whether the policy is actually going to those who need the benefits. For instance, since the leave offered is unpaid, majorities of eligible employees can not take time off because they can not afford to do so.[111] And according to Pyle and Pelletier, eligible workers may not even know about this policy and the benefits allotted to them.[110]
Under law, women are protected from sex discrimination in the workplace but a large stigma against women still exists in terms of them being equally skilled as their male co-workers, and ultimately testing the federal protection of rights in a work environment.[112] Like any other federal regulation, it is strictly prohibited for an employer to discriminate towards an employee (especially if the employee is using their FMLA rights), and to strain from providing accurate information for all employees to access.[113]
Signing ceremony
Vicki Yandle, a receptionist who was fired after asking for a few weeks of time off to care for a daughter with cancer, was on stage with President Clinton when the law was signed.[114]
↑ 29 USC §2614(b). Under 29 USC §2612(b)(2) employers may transfer employees to another position with similar pay and benefits if health absences could be intermittent. Under §2618 special rules apply for employees of local educational agencies.
↑ Han, W.-J. and Waldfogel, J. 2003. "Parental Leave: The Impact of Recent Legislation on Parents' Leave-Taking." Demography. 40(1):191–200. p191 quoted.
↑ "Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations: A Report on the Department of Labor's Request for Information." 28 June 2007. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division. Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 124.
↑ Galinsky, E., Bond, J., Sakai, K., Kim, S., Giuntoli, N. 2008. National study of employers. New York, NY: Families and Work Institute.
↑ Gregg, P.E., Washbrook et al. 2005. "The Effects of a Mother's Return to Work Decision on Child Development in the UK." The Economic Journal. 115(501):F48-F80.
↑ Berger, L.M., Hill, et al. 2005. "Maternity Leave, Early Maternal Employment and Child Health Development in the US." The Economic Journal. 115(501):F29-F47.
↑ Chatterji, P. and Markowitz, S. 2005. "Does the Length of Maternity Leave Affect Mental Health." Southern Economic Journal. 72(1):16–41.
↑ e.g. D Paquette, 'The enormous ambition of Hillary Clinton's child-care plan' (May 12, 2016) The Washington Post
1 2 Anthony; Deborah (2008). "The Hidden Harms of the Family and Medical Leave Act: Gender Neutral versus Gender Equal". Journal of Gender Social Policy and the Law. 16 (4).
↑ Mory, Marc; Pistilli, Lia (2001). "The Failure of the Family and Medical Leave Act: Alternative Proposals for Contemporary American Families". Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal. 18 (2).
The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they are usually taking days off from their work that have been pre-approved by their employer in their contracts of employment. Labour laws normally mandate that these paid-leave days be compensated at either 100% of normal pay, or at a very high percentage of normal days' pay, such as 75% or 80%. A furlough is a type of leave.
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) is a law passed by the U.S. Congress on a reconciliation basis and signed by President Ronald Reagan that, among other things, mandates an insurance program which gives some employees the ability to continue health insurance coverage after leaving employment. COBRA includes amendments to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The law deals with a great variety of subjects, such as tobacco price supports, railroads, private pension plans, emergency department treatment, disability insurance, and the postal service, but it is perhaps best known for Title X, which amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to deny income tax deductions to employers for contributions to a group health plan unless such plan meets certain continuing coverage requirements. The violation for failing to meet those criteria was subsequently changed to an excise tax.
Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" and "paternity leave" to describe separate family leave available to either parent to care for small children. In some countries and jurisdictions, "family leave" also includes leave provided to care for ill family members. Often, the minimum benefits and eligibility requirements are stipulated by law.
Mental health law includes a wide variety of legal topics and pertain to people with a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of a mental health condition, and to those involved in managing or treating such people. Laws that relate to mental health include:
United States labor law sets the rights and duties for employees, labor unions, and employers in the US. Labor law's basic aim is to remedy the "inequality of bargaining power" between employees and employers, especially employers "organized in the corporate or other forms of ownership association". Over the 20th century, federal law created minimum social and economic rights, and encouraged state laws to go beyond the minimum to favor employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 requires a federal minimum wage, currently $7.25 but higher in 29 states and D.C., and discourages working weeks over 40 hours through time-and-a-half overtime pay. There are no federal laws, and few state laws, requiring paid holidays or paid family leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 creates a limited right to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in larger employers. There is no automatic right to an occupational pension beyond federally guaranteed Social Security, but the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 requires standards of prudent management and good governance if employers agree to provide pensions, health plans or other benefits. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires employees have a safe system of work.
Pregnancy discrimination is a type of employment discrimination that occurs when expectant women are fired, not hired, or otherwise discriminated against due to their pregnancy or intention to become pregnant. Common forms of pregnancy discrimination include not being hired due to visible pregnancy or likelihood of becoming pregnant, being fired after informing an employer of one's pregnancy, being fired after maternity leave, and receiving a pay dock due to pregnancy. Pregnancy discrimination may also take the form of denying reasonable accommodations to workers based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. Pregnancy discrimination has also been examined to have an indirect relationship with the decline of a mother's physical and mental health. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women prohibits dismissal on the grounds of maternity or pregnancy and ensures right to maternity leave or comparable social benefits. The Maternity Protection Convention C 183 proclaims adequate protection for pregnancy as well. Though women have some protection in the United States because of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, it has not completely curbed the incidence of pregnancy discrimination. The Equal Rights Amendment could ensure more robust sex equality ensuring that women and men could both work and have children at the same time.
California's Paid Family Leave (PFL) insurance program, which is also known as the Family Temporary Disability Insurance (FTDI) program, is a law enacted in 2002 that extends unemployment disability compensation to cover individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with a new minor child. If eligible, you can receive benefit payments for up to eight weeks. Payments are about 60 to 70 percent of your weekly wages earned 5 to 18 months before your claim start date. You will receive payments by debit card or check. Benefits equal approximately 70% of earnings and have a maximum per week, for a total of up to six weeks.
Sick leave is paid time off from work that workers can use to stay home to address their health needs without losing pay. It differs from paid vacation time or time off work to deal with personal matters, because sick leave is intended for health-related purposes. Sick leave can include a mental health day and taking time away from work to go to a scheduled doctor's appointment. Some policies also allow paid sick time to be used to care for sick family members, or to address health and safety needs related to domestic violence or sexual assault. Menstrual leave is another type of time off work for a health-related reason, but it is not always paid.
Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs, 538 U.S. 721 (2003), was a United States Supreme Court case which held that the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 was "narrowly targeted" at "sex-based overgeneralization" and was thus a "valid exercise of [congressional] power under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment."
Mother's rights are the legal obligations for expecting mothers, existing mothers, and adoptive mothers in the United States. Issues that involve mothers' rights include labor rights, breast feeding, and family rights.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 29 U.S.C. § 203 (FLSA) is a United States labor law that creates the right to a minimum wage, and "time-and-a-half" overtime pay when people work over forty hours a week. It also prohibits employment of minors in "oppressive child labor". It applies to employees engaged in interstate commerce or employed by an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, unless the employer can claim an exemption from coverage. The Act was enacted by the 75th Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938.
The California Labor Code, more formally known as "the Labor Code", is a collection of civil law statutes for the State of California. The code is made up of statutes which govern the general obligations and rights of persons within the jurisdiction of the State of California. The stated goal of the Department of Industrial Relations is to promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners of California, to improve their working conditions and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment."
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the United States Department of Labor is the federal office responsible for enforcing federal labor laws. The Division was formed with the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The Wage and Hour mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the Nation's workforce. WHD protects over 144 million workers in more than 9.8 million establishments throughout the United States and its territories. The Wage and Hour Division enforces over 13 laws, most notably the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family Medical Leave Act. In FY18, WHD recovered $304,000,000 in back wages for over 240,000 workers and followed up FY19, with a record-breaking $322,000,000 for over 300,000 workers.
Work–life balance in the United States is having enough time for work and enough time to have a personal life in the United States. Related, though broader, terms include lifestyle balance and life balance. The most important thing in work and life is the personal ability to demonstrate and meet the needs of work and personal life in order to achieve goals. People should learn to deal with role engagement management, role conflict management and managing life needs to achieve balance. Balance is about how to properly achieve the desired work and life satisfaction and needs in a conflict situation.
Shared earning/shared parenting marriage, also known as peer marriage, is a type of marriage where partners at the outset agree to adhere to a model of shared responsibility for earning money, meeting the needs of children, doing household chores, and taking recreation time in near equal fashion across these four domains. It refers to an intact family formed in the relatively equal earning and parenting style from its initiation. Peer marriage is distinct from shared parenting, as well as the type of equal or co-parenting that father's rights activists in the United States, the United Kingdom and elsewhere seek after a divorce in the case of marriages, or unmarried pregnancies/childbirths, not set up in this fashion at the outset of the relationship or pregnancy.
Parental leave is regulated in the United States by US labor law and state law. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually for parents of newborn or newly adopted children if they work for a company with 50 or more employees. As of October 1, 2020, the same policy has been extended to caregivers of sick family members, or a partner in direct relation to the birth of the child therefore responsible for the care of the mother. Although 12 weeks are allowed to them, on average American fathers only take 10 days off, due to financial need. Beginning in 2020, California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island required paid parental leave to employees, including those a part of 50 or less employees. There is no paid paternity leave in the United States currently.
Ragsdale v. Wolverine World Wide, Inc., 535 U.S. 81 (2002), is a U.S. labor law case, concerning the scope of federal preemption against state law for labor rights.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is an Act of Congress meant to respond to the economic impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The act provides funding for free coronavirus testing, 14-day paid leave for American workers affected by the pandemic, and increased funding for food stamps.
The United States federal government requires unpaid leave for serious illnesses, but does not require that employees have access to paid sick leave to address their own short-term illnesses or the short-term illness of a family member. However, a number of states and localities do require some or all employers to provide paid sick leave to their workers.
Absence management, also known as leave management, is a combination of employer policies, procedures, or programs designed to handle employee leaves of absence and minimize the impact of those absences on the employer. Absence management programs aim to maximize productivity by supporting an employee from initial absence through return-to-work and stay-at-work plans.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
