Who here has ever used the Family Medical Leave Act?

[bleedingheart]

According to NPR the Labor Department is about to take a hatchet to the act to prevent abuse and I fear they will destroy it.

I used it after my second child was born prematurely to give me more time at home with her and in fact my boss wrote a special letter to HR stating that I could actually take a bit more time off additionally as a token of appreciation for my years of service.

It was of great help to me.

[Dirty Hippie]

1. Used it when my son was critically injured.

My school board paid my medical insurance while I was out for 10 weeks. It also guaranteed I had a job to return to.

[cindyw]

2. My husband was able to take time off when our son was born.

He did not take non paid time, but my guess is that if it were not for the act it would not have been possible for a father to take "paternity leave". Also my husband was able to take time off during the pregnancy to care for me while I was hospitalized and on bed rest. I think before this act he could have risked his job to take that time to care for me.

[bleedingheart]

5. some companies now offer paternity leave

but many do not, so FMLA does really help in those circumstances.

[Jo March]

3. I used it for the birth of my son and surgery

It was a blessing because my company, where we were all supposed to be one big family, wanted to fire me for missing work because of the surgery.

[mantis49]

4. I used it when my stepmom was dying of cancer.

The whole family was there to take care of her in her last few weeks so she could die at home. She was prepared to go to a nursing home because she didn't want to be a burden to us, but she really wanted to be in her home. None of us had to worry about our jobs because of FMLA.

[IrateCitizen]

6. It's a good plan for those who can afford to use it...

The problem is that for those who can't afford to go without a paycheck for any significant portion of time, it's largely meaningless legislation.

Personally, I'm in favor of Scandinavian policies like 1 year guaranteed paid maternity leave. Of course, that could never happen in a place like America.... :grr:

[bleedingheart]

7. You are correct and what is sad is that employers still hate the plan

they don't have to pay a salary and yet they feel cheated buy it because someone uses it for an emergency.

I know myself that I saved up extra cash over the time of my pregnancy to compensate for what I would not be making but not many people can even do that.

I too would love the Scandinavian policy but alas this is good old Corporate America...

[elehhhhna]

8. FYI--to be fair here...

They propose 2 things, apparently: defining "serious illness", which various courts have found to mean almost anything you can think of...and to limit (or regulate/define) "incremental leave", which has been found to mean 10 minutes s(as in "Ouch my neck hurts again I'm leaving ten minutes early, (EVERY DAY)" and has opened the program up to some abuses and leaves employers with no warning from literally hour-to-hour whether the employee will be there or not.


Feminist Daily News Wire
February 16, 2005

Labor Dept May Change Family Medical Leave Act Regulations
The Department of Labor is considering changes to the landmark Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) after years of pressure from business interests. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, the Department of Labor (DOL) is expected to propose changes as early as March of this year. “The proposals would make FMLA inaccessible to millions of Americans who now can afford access,” Lissa Bell, policy associate at the National Partnership, told the Kansas City Star. One of the changes feared is that the DOL will eliminate some illnesses for which employees can take job-protected leave.

“Opponents of the FMLA are placing enormous pressure on the Bush Administration to scale back the law,” said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership. “Their proposals would deny many working Americans the benefits of job-protected leave by changing the definition of a serious illness and restricting the use of intermittent leave.”

The DOL denies that any such changes are being planned, according to the Birmingham News. However, the DOL has said it will make changes to regulations governing notice for leave time after a 2002 US Supreme Court decision that relaxed employers’ notification obligations to employees, the Birmingham News reports.

[bleedingheart]

10. actually many groups are worried that there are other pieces of this

that haven't been aired to the public yet.

I think part of the abuse stems from the fact that some employers are using those silly point systems by which they punish workers who take sick time. If companies would have realistic sick time for people then workers wouldn't have to get more "creative".

[Rowdyboy]

9. It was a godsend to me during the last two years of my mom's life

She was frequently hospitalized and required my attention for days on end.

[RedCloud]

11. Yes for the birth of my daughter!

I was the first male to take the now called paternity leave at my place of employment.

I have had great bosses over the years and I am sure that when my kids needed hospitalization and I was gone, they never asked me to sign anything, so I probably got it then too!