Federal Changes to the FMLA

While we are talking about this Family and Medical Leave Act, and other such laws and changes to paid time off laws across the states, we should definitely take a peek at how the FMLA might be changed on the federal level as well. Not only would this affect employers all over the place in the way that they allow their employees to take time off from work for family or medical reasons. Any change to the FMLA could also force employers to get another FMLA labor law poster, as well as buy new HR forms and materials, time off calendars, time off request forms, and other items they currently use now to track days off but would then be outdated with a change to the laws.

At the moment, there is a debate between Congressional Democrats, labor unions, women groups, and others who side with workers and want the act to be expanded to afford more time off rights. On the side of the debate, according to my sources, are employer and business groups, some Republicans and other congressmen who could be considered on the side of employers, and others who want to limit the FMLA or keep it as is.

But before we get into the details and the facts of the debate—while of course steering clear of the politics of it all—let’s get a quick history lesson on the Family and Medical Leave Act. The law was passed on the federal level in 1993, and as is, it requires all companies with more than 50 employees to give all of those employees as many as 12 weeks off, if needed, of unpaid time off for family and medical issues, such as the birth of a baby, adoptions, sickness in a spouse or other family member, or caring for an elderly parent, and other similar situations.