Email we just got. Baby steps. But steps nonetheless

[CatWoman]

Extension of 24-Hour LWOP Family Support Policy to Same-Sex Domestic Partners of Federal Employees

The 24-hour Leave Without Pay (LWOP) policy was established by President Clinton in 1997 to encourage Federal agencies to make 24 hours of unpaid leave available to Federal employees for the following family support purposes:

(1) School and Early Childhood Educational Activities: Federal agencies should allow employees to participate in school activities directly related to the educational advancement of a child, including children of an employee’s same-sex domestic partner. This includes parent-teacher conferences or meetings with child-care providers, interviewing for a new school or child-care facility, or participating in volunteer activities supporting the child’s educational advancement. “School” refers to an elementary school, secondary school, Head Start program, or a child-care facility.

(2) Routine Family Medical Purposes: Federal employees should be permitted to accompany the children, including the children of their same-sex domestic partners to routine medical or dental appointments, such as annual checkups or vaccinations.

(3) Elderly Relatives’ Health or Care Needs: Federal agencies should allow employees to accompany an elderly relative, including the elderly relative of their same sex domestic partner to routine medical or dental appointments or other professional services related to the care of the elderly relative, such as making arrangements for housing, meals, phones, banking services, and other similar activities.

Although FMLA was never amended for these purposes, President Obama continues to support this LWOP policy extending coverage to Federal employees with same-sex domestic partners.

HHS will take appropriate action to permit employees with same-sex domestic partners to use 24 hours of LWOP in a leave year for this purpose.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. 24 HOURS?

Who are they kidding?

This is ridiculous. This is a nothing measure, a sop. I know, I know.........it's what they could do at the time. ARGH.

It's not just baby steps.

More like slowly crawling. Maybe forward.

Jeez.

[CatWoman]

2. 24 hours unpaid leave equates to 3 working days

[NYC_SKP]

4. Or six full mornings or afternoons, or 12 two-hour absenses.

Baby steps indeed, but steps nonetheless.

Kick and Rec.

:P

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Yeah, I understand that.

But out of a whole year, this isn't much.

It's ridiculous.

Yes, it's better than nothing, but not by much.

[Wednesdays]

3. You mean The 24-hour Leave Without Pay (LWOP) policy isn't 24 hours long?

:shrug:

Call me confused.

[MineralMan]

6. If I understand this correctly, the 24 leave applied originally to

married couples, but was unofficially extended to same-sex families or domestic partners as well, and that President Obama is continuing that policy. Is that correct? If so, then it's just a good thing. FMLA should be officially amended, though, to include same-sex families.

If I'm not interpreting this correctly, please let me know.