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Essay about The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)

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The 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, Governor Bill Clinton promoted implementing an act that would grant families a temporary medical leave under certain circumstances. He pushed for a change in the labor law that would protect workers that were caring for their families. Once …show more content…

Employees with legitimate reasons have the right to take leave without any restraint from his or her employer. This means that an employer cannot interfere or deny an employee of family and medical leave if that person meets the criteria. The act grants people several rights. Upon return, these workers should have either the same job position or one that is equivalent to their previous job. The job security aspect of this act is a huge benefit. Workers returning from leave do not have to worry about being replaced or fired for taking the necessary leave. Family and medical leave can be used once each year if necessary. Group health benefits are protected and maintained while on leave as well. If a person has a complaint or wants to file a private lawsuit under the act, he or she can take it up with the local Wage and Hour Division office and does not have to worry about being fired. These matters are handled privately and the Wage and Hour Division Office will work on getting the issue resolved or correcting the violation and mending the damage (Solis). If foreseeable, employees are expected to give notice of their leave thirty days in advance. However, sometimes this is not possible because emergencies occur. In such case, the employee should provide notice as soon as they can. If asked to do so, employees

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