Improvements to the FMLA Act
Mayra Delgado
Strayer University
ENG 215: Research and Writing
Professor: David Hardrick
May 18, 2013
Improvements to the FMLA Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA of 1993 were established to improve the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1979 (Griffin, 2012). The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has been very helpful. However, there are some requirements in the law that should be improved. “The FMLA provides a means for employees to balance their work and family responsibilities by taking unpaid leave for certain reasons (Labor U. D., 2009)”. The legislation is specific in which situations can be used. The FMLA should be amended to include domestic partners or extends family members, receive a salary pay and decrease the size of the company. The concept of the American family has been changed, now we have families were the parents are not legally married or are from the same sex. The family unit has changed in United States of America (USA). Having a salary pay during the FMLA time will help to maintain the employee financial stability.
Background of the Problem
In the last 20 years the FMLA has been available for some employees, the Act was established by President Bill Clinton. The intention of the legislation has been very appreciated but the Act has many limitations regarding the family members and it specified as unpaid leave. The Act was a very important benefit ever passed for the workers, creating a balance in work when the need of taken care in a serious medical issue. “The condition must either prevent the worker from performing his or her job, or require the worker to care for a family member (FMLAOnline.com). Susan Brown mentioned in an article “In 1994, there were 3.7 million cohabiting couples in the United States based on the US Bureau of the Census in 1995 (Brown, 1996). When the Act was signed it was not taken in consideration that there were already a high number of couples living together without…