Fmla

Jennifer Jones

MGT 420

Dr. Jim Roser

25 November 2013

Pros and Cons of Paid FMLA

As family and work patterns have shifted over recent decades, the demand for time off from work to address family needs has become increasingly urgent. Three key factors have contributed to the expanding need for family leave: the dramatic growth of female labor force participation, especially among married women and mothers; the growing demand for eldercare; and the increasing (if still relatively small) number of men who participate in family care giving. In the absence of paid family and medical leave, working families are often forced to choose between economic security and providing vital care for ill children and elderly parents. Nationally, two-thirds of low-income mothers and more than one-third of moderate- and upper-income mothers lose pay when they miss work because a child is sick. Parents who have paid sick leave or vacation are five times more likely to stay home with a sick child than are those who lack such benefits, and it is well-documented that ill children recover more quickly when their parents are present. In addition, almost 40% of working Americans provide unpaid assistance to their elderly parents during periods of serious illness. This too involves lost hours of work (and thus lost income) and can generate other negative employment consequences for caregivers.

There are many public benefits of paid family leave. It provides the opportunity for individual employees to care for loved ones in the event of illness or the birth of a baby. It even has the provision to allow a son or daughter to take time off to care for an ailing parent. This eliminates the employee from being forced to choose between their family and their job. With paid family leave not only the employee benefits, businesses do too. This leave allows a business to be a “good corporate citizen” in the communities where they operate. If businesses are given an additional way to take...