The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was the first national policy designed to help working Americans meet the dual demands of work and family. It guarantees eligible employees 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, seriously ill family member, or to recover from their own serious health conditions, while ensuring job security.
The National Partnership drafted the FMLA and led the coalition that fought for its passage. Since this groundbreaking law went into effect in 1993, today working Americans have been able to take critical time off when necessary without putting their jobs on the line over 100 million times.
However, the FMLA is not enough. Nearly 40 percent of workers are not eligible for the FMLA because they work for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. In addition, the FMLA does not provide job protection for other important family responsibilities such as parent-teacher conferences or driving an elderly parent to the doctor. The National Partnership is working to expand the scope of the FMLA to protect the jobs of working families when they need it most.
About the FMLA Coalition
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Coalition is a broad, diverse coalition of over 200 groups dedicated to defending the FMLA on behalf of working Americans. The Coalition reaches across a broad spectrum of concerned citizens, including religious, women’s, seniors, veterans, and disability groups. The FMLA Coalition advocates on behalf of the critical protections the FMLA provides for working women and men and their families.
For more information about the FMLA Coalition, or to join the Coalition’s efforts, contact the National Partnership at 202-238-4881.
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