Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
Family and Medical Leave Act became effective August 5, 1993, for most employers. FMLA allows employees to balance their work and family life by taking reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. The FMLA seeks to accomplish these purposes in a manner that accommodates the legitimate interests of employers, and minimizes the potential for employment discrimination on the basis of gender, while promoting equal employment opportunity for men and women. FMLA helps to meet significant family needs. The stated goals of the Act include balancing the demands of the workplace with family needs, promoting economic security, promoting security of family and promoting the national interest in preserving family integrity.
The FMLA is quite broad in its scope, covering not only full-time employees, but also part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers. The Family and Medical Leave Act requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medial reasons. Basically, FMLA gives employees three basic guarantees which are the right to take leave, health benefits continuation, and reinstatement to the same position, or one equivalent to it in all respects. The Leave must be taken within a twelve month period. The employer may elect to use the calendar year, a fixed 12-month leave or fiscal year, or a 12-month period prior to or after the commencement of leave as the 12-month period. .
FMLA applies to all public agencies, including state, local and federal employers, local education agencies and private-sector employers who employed 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year. It also applies to those who are engaged in commerce or in any industry or activity affecting commerce, including joint employers and successors of covered employers.