Family Leave Turns 21, Now It’s Time for Paid Sick Leave (Link added)

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Fri Aug 8, 2014, 11:09 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/Family-Leave-Turns-21-Now-It-s-Time-for-Paid-Sick-Leave

Family Leave Turns 21, Now It’s Time for Paid Sick Leave

08/05/2014Mike Hall



Since the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) took effect Aug. 5, 1993, the groundbreaking law has been used 100 million times and has helped 36 million workers keep their health insurance and jobs while taking care of a newborn child, themselves or a family member during a serious illness.

First introduced in Congress in 1984, it took nearly 10 years to overcome a well-funded campaign against the legislation by corporations and two successful vetoes by President George H.W. Bush before President Bill Clinton signed it into law.

The FMLA’s unpaid leave with job protections was a good first step. But today, there are millions of workers who can’t afford to take time off for their own or a loved one’s illnesses. Forty percent all private-sector workers don’t have any paid sick days and that doubles to 80% for low-wage workers.

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That’s why there is a growing move across the nation, from Congress to statehouses to city halls, to pass paid family leave–sick days legislation.

FULL story at link.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Steve, do you have a link to the story?

[Omaha Steve]

3. I'm glad you said something before I called it a night

Thanks.

[Puzzledtraveller]

2. I am on FML now for paternity.

I was approved for paternity leave intermittently. I took 2 weeks off and I have been using the remainder of the entitlement which was 450 work hours as needed. I can't tell you how important it has been for me and my wife to be able to be here for our baby girl. It has allowed me to bond with her, spending precious time with early on to form a lasting bond and to meet her needs. She was born in the lowest percentile for weight and also has problems nursing, add to that my wife was not producing enough and soon we found ourselves with a problem. I can say that at 3 months old now she is doing great and feeding well and putting on weight, but I believe it would have been a very tough if I had not been able to take job protected leave.

The downside is that as important as it was to be there for my daughter the leave was unpaid and we have struggled a bit financially. The good thing is I am a SNAP and Medicaid caseworker and we were also approved for SNAP as we became a family of four when my daughter was born, my wife, stepson and baby. I have been off this past two weeks as I approach the end of my entitlement and despite the very small paychecks, ( I have worked a few days here and there) it has been totally worth it. I am returning on Monday and I will have about a week of leave remaining to use by 12/31.

[yeoman6987]

6. I took 12 weeks of FML leave without pay

Worth every lost penny. I am so glad for the program.

[Puzzledtraveller]

7. indeed, ill have taken the complete 12 weeks by the end of the year.

For people who do not take advantage of it, it is time lost spending with your children you can never get back.

[Spider Jerusalem]

4. It's time for mandatory time off with pay.

The USA is the only country in the developed world whose citizens have no mandatory leave entitlement.

[Puzzledtraveller]

8. ^^this^^

[JaneyVee]

5. Paid sick leave finally in effect here in NYC.

We really need some national legislation.