Leave benefits expand for military families

[unhappycamper]

Leave benefits expand for military families
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 13, 2008 18:38:07 EST

The Labor Department has written new rules to expand Family and Medical Leave Act benefits that represent a dramatic change in how National Guard and reserve members and caregivers responsible for seriously injured troops will be treated by employers.

One benefit, which applies immediately, allows up to 26 weeks of unpaid time off without fear of losing a civilian job for spouses, parents, siblings, children or other blood relatives taking care of seriously injured or disabled service members. The one catch is that it only applies while the injured service member is still in the military, and ends after separation or discharge.

A second benefit, which employers have 60 days to implement, allows families of mobilized Guard and reserve members up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, with their job fully protected, for a variety of deployment-related reasons, including attending military briefings, handling legal or financial issues, emergency child care arrangements and even taking a vacation of up to five days if the service member gets mid-deployment rest and recuperation leave.

Families of active-duty members are not eligible for the deployment-related time off because Congress did not authorize it, Labor Department officials said.

Joy Dunlap of the Military Officers Association of America said the two additions to the Family and Medical Leave Act, known as FMLA, will be a great boon to families who are struggling with the demands of ongoing military operations. But blocking active-duty families from the deployment leave is something her association plans to challenge, she said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/military_familymedicalleave_111308w/%2e



uhc comment: We invaded Afghanistan six years ago and we invaded Iraq five years ago. Can someone please explain to me why it took the Labor Department six fucking years to change FLMA?