Family Medical Leave Act and Its Impact on Productivity

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to enlighten and explore Family and Medical Leave Act and its impact on the productivity. The core objective of the paper is to describe Family and Medical Leave Act. Moreover, the paper enlightens the historical background of the Act and defines the scenario of its formulation. Nonetheless, this paper describes the impact of Family and Medical Leave Act on productivity of employees and the organization due to the unnecessary leaves availed by the employees by faking their medical condition. The paper also describes the criticism to the Family and Medical Leave Act; moreover, the paper defines the strategies and amendments in the Act made by legislative authorities in order to minimize its impact of productivity.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

History of the Family and Medical Leave Act4

Impact of Family and Medical Leave Act on Employee Productivity6

Criticism of the Family and Medical Leave Act7

Conclusion8

References10

Family Medical Leave Act and Its Impact on Productivity

Introduction

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), first passed in 1993, guarantees employees the right to take unpaid time off to care for themselves, a new baby, or another ill family member, and still keep their job and benefits. The FMLA was passed to help the increasing percentage of families in which both parents work outside the home. It has mainly helped middle-class two-parent families, but has not been as useful for low-income single working parents, who often cannot afford to take unpaid leave from their jobs. Starting in the mid-1980s, bills were introduced to require employers to provide unpaid leave to parents to care for their new babies or ill children, as well as leave for an employee's illness or disability.

The Parental and Disability Leave Act of 1985 would have provided unpaid leave of eighteen weeks, and twenty-six weeks of unpaid leave for disability. This law would have covered all employers with at least one employee, but would not have covered government employees. The bill did not progress to a vote. In 1986, a similar bill was introduced again, covering employers with five or more employees, and all government employees. This bill also was not voted on. While these kinds of bills were supported by labor organizations and women's organizations, businesses were opposed to it, arguing that this kind of law would be too expensive for business, and that the government ought not to be dictating fringe benefits.

History of the Family and Medical Leave Act

In 1987 and 1988, similar bills were introduced, and again did not get voted on. In 1989, the FMLA was introduced, which would have provided ten weeks of unpaid leave every two years. The leave could be used to care for a new baby or to care for a family member who was ill. The House version of this bill would have applied only to employers with at least fifty employees. This bill passed Congress but was vetoed by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. A similar bill was passed again in 1992, and ...