DOL Expands FMLA to Cover Non-Traditional Families
The federal Department of Labor issued some important guidance regarding the coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as it applies to all sorts of unconventional families. The DOL made clear that FMLA rights to get time off to care for children do not require a biological relationship with the child. Rather, anyone who has assumed the role of parent (for example a non-married step-parent, grandparent, or same-sex partner) is entitled to FMLA leave to care for the child. Continue for highlights from the guidance: The FMLA entitles an eligible employee to take up to 12...
Read MoreOp-Ed Calling for Paid Maternity and Family Leave
An op-ed in the Washington Post calls for paid family and maternity leave because the 12 weeks of unpaid leave provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is grossly inadequate. Sharon Lerner traces the history of legislative efforts to provide paid leave to support workers’ families, the compromised law that is the FMLA, and the pernicious effects of inadequate paid leave. The need for reform is stark: When it comes to paid maternity leave, the United States is in the postpartum dark ages. One hundred and seventy-seven nations — including Djibouti, Haiti and...
Read MorePresident Signs Expansion of FMLA for Military Families
Last week, President Obama signed the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an appropriations bill that includes an expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for military families. Specifically, it broadens the scope of caregiver and exigency leave for military families. Details should be available from the Department of Labor in short order.
Read MoreStudy Shows that Unions Help Make Family-Friendly Workplaces
Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?, written by Jennifer MacGillvary of the Labor Center at the University of California-Berkeley and Netsy Firestein of the Labor Project for Working Families, concludes the unions lead to workplaces that, through policy and practice, promote a healthy and viable balance between work life and home life. Significantly, the study finds that unions increase compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act, ensure paid sick leave for employees and their children, and increase the likelihood that health care is covered for...
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