More Subjects
Your Name
Course
Instructor’s Name
Date
The labor law of the United States entails some employers to provide paid leaves for essential medical and emergency family reasons. Some specific employees are eligible to avail 12 weeks' leave under the United States Family and Medical Leave Act. The leave should be specified for certain medical and family emergencies that fit under the law. Not any leave for any reason can be granted, only specific employers that are covered by the FMLA can grant such paid leaves. Protection under FMLA can be availed if there is a chance of arrival of a new child, a family member is in serious need of care due to his/her health condition or the employee which is seeking leave is facing serious health issues that can affect his performance during a job. This act protects the legal interests of employees and also helps in providing equal opportunities to both male and female employees. Under FMLA paid leaves should be allowed to employees to help them find a balance between their work and responsibilities of a family as it can help in improving health conditions, financial benefit, and employee retention.
The health conditions to avail paid leaves under this act include serious illness, mental conditions, serious injuries, or some treatment that is going on and require bed rest for its completion. Employees can also take these paid leaves to take care of their immediate family members which include, children, spouses, and parents. The important point for an employee is to know whether his condition falls under the FMLA or not. Employees are qualified for paid leaves if they have at least served for a year and at least 1,250 hours in that time ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"WJLvWXHM","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) | U.S. Department of Labor})","plainCitation":"(Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) | U.S. Department of Labor)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":159,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/CUGI8DVR"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/CUGI8DVR"],"itemData":{"id":159,"type":"webpage","title":"Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) | U.S. Department of Labor","URL":"https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",11,5]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) | U.S. Department of Labor).
The implication of FMLA in an organization is important for both employee and employer. For an employee, it reduces his anxiety and stress of losing a job if he is able to fully take care of his family during their tough time. They can also retain their health insurance at that time which can be later used at the time of need. Under the FMLA the employers are made compulsory to continue the insurance coverage just like the employee has been working in the company rather than out on leave. The FMLA allows employees to enjoy health benefits in the form of health plans created by employers to help their previous and current workers. For any other financial benefits, an employee will continue to get them as per the policy of an organization on benefits during leaves. FMLA doesn't put any boundaries and limitations on employees nor give any special wavier to them about a company’s benefits. Also, FMLA leave cannot be considered as a break during a plan for employment, and if a retirement plan requires someone to be present at a specific date and time and that person is on FMLA, he will be considered employed during that time.
FMLA is important and beneficial for both employers and employees as employers must pay their usual share to its workers. The same rules will also be applied to all other insurances such as life insurance or disability insurances during an FMLA as well. One further need and argument that can be made for the application of FMLA is that all of the employee's benefits are restored on his return to the duty. The return must also be at the same level and position on which the employee took a leave unless similar reshuffling and position changes took place at the entire institutional level. This means that FMLA helps in improving satisfaction and confidence level of employees which in turn increase or at least maintain their performance level ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"dhfrL3W7","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Kim)","plainCitation":"(Kim)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":162,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/JLTUNNF7"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/JLTUNNF7"],"itemData":{"id":162,"type":"article-journal","title":"THE EFFECTS OF PAID FAMILY LEAVE ON FAMILY CAREGIVING FOR OLDER ADULTS","container-title":"Innovation in Aging","page":"355","volume":"2","issue":"Suppl 1","author":[{"family":"Kim","given":"S."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Kim). During the time of leave if the premiums or pays increase the employee will be entitled to those increases in pays.
The absence of family and medical leave insurance means that many parents will not be present at home to provide necessary care for their children. Most of the children have either both or at least a single parent that is working. Due to the absence of FMLA in all departments and organizations in America many people have to take leave of absence from work in order to take care of their family. This means that extra pressure and stress of work are always there on them which in turn lower their performance in workplaces. Parental leave also allows parents and specifically fathers to spend time with their children and get a chance to know them better. This will help them in creating a better relationship with their parents. Giving time to your children can also reduce the spousal tensions between couples and which results in the eradication of psychological pressures and tensions. If there is no pressure from family many people will tend to work with more ease and concentration. This can further increase the productivity level of any organization for which those employees are working.
The benefits of FMLA are more and importance should be given to its implications. Parental leaves can hugely enhance the physical health of children and also if the parents are giving taking days off, they will be mentally calm, which will result in the better upbringing of their children. Parental leaves can also rise the time duration breastfeeding and reduce the rate of deaths among newborns and also their behaviors later on. Depression and anxiety among mothers can also be decreased by increasing the time of their maternal leaves ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"dOzp2MR7","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Dederich et al.)","plainCitation":"(Dederich et al.)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":160,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/EIXVGZIZ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/EIXVGZIZ"],"itemData":{"id":160,"type":"paper-conference","title":"Analyzing Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance in Wisconsin: Possible Costs and Effects","container-title":"Workshop in Public Affairs","author":[{"family":"Dederich","given":"Ben"},{"family":"Erickson","given":"Claire"},{"family":"Gross","given":"Tyler"},{"family":"Ross","given":"Marisa"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Dederich et al.). Employers should also give paid leaves to their employees as such leaves can help develop the economy. FMLA can increase the participation of labors in a working environment. Many paid leave programs provide encourage female workers to remain on the workforce after childbirth because they know that there is a law that safeguards their return in a working environment. Women usually take more family leaves than men, because they work more for taking care of newborn children and also ill family members. The FMLA policy can help women to return more quickly to their jobs as compared to that of Pre-FMLA.
Family and medical leave act ensure higher rates of employee retention. It can help in the reduction of employee turnover and helps in limiting the problems that employees face during their work. Those workers, especially with low quality of jobs who used the right given to them by FMLA, are more than 80 percent likely to return to their previous jobs as compared to those who didn't have the right under FMLA i.e. 73% ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"4vADFZLk","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Baum and Ruhm)","plainCitation":"(Baum and Ruhm)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":161,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/A6UG7K3I"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KfR9yuY2/items/A6UG7K3I"],"itemData":{"id":161,"type":"article-journal","title":"The effects of paid family leave in California on labor market outcomes","container-title":"Journal of Policy Analysis and Management","page":"333-356","volume":"35","issue":"2","author":[{"family":"Baum","given":"Charles L."},{"family":"Ruhm","given":"Christopher J."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Baum and Ruhm ). The continuity of a worker on their job can certainly help in protecting the human capital of an organization. This human capital cost includes investment in training, wages, insurances, skill development and specific funds related to occupation, employer and industry. The workers that are already working in an organization can certainly help in getting rid of these costs as they already possess such knowledge and skills. If someone is quitting their job just to take leave it will affect the structure of an organization and will also add the extra burden of human capital. FMLA has helped in creating a better, helpful and cooperative environment in many organizations that in turn provide a safe establishment of a business. This also enhances the morale of current employees and encourage them to take part in their duties with more responsibility.
Conclusion
Access to Family and Medical leave insurance through FMLA is a basic requirement of this age for the workforce. FMLA allows employees to take care of their personal and family issues that are important and need immediate action. This act helps them in achieving their goals while at the same time remain active in the workforce as they don't lose their jobs. Those families which avail of family and medical leaves often enjoy countless financial benefits that can help both employees and employers. Family and Medical Leave Act will help the United States in the long run in terms of its economy and financial stability. FMLA increases the chance for employees to return to their original posts on which they were working. The retention of employees can help in the reduction of turnover costs, similar or unchanged operations and the people working on them, less capital spent on training programs and increased profitability for the employer.
It can also help them in reducing the wage gap between the workers of employers who provide care as compared to those who don't. Many families who rely on the earnings of single mothers will be less financially vulnerable due to this policy. FMLA can also help in promoting better gender equality at workplaces because it gives men the same opportunity to take leaves and spend that time with their families at the time of their need. If the United States wants to continue its development FMLA should be implicated in all work organizations without any discrimination. It is evident from many types of research that the results we get from the application of Financial and Medical leave act are far more as compared to the cost of the process. There should be no further delay in the application of FMLA across all America.
Work Cited
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Baum, Charles L., and Christopher J. Ruhm. “The Effects of Paid Family Leave in California on Labor Market Outcomes.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, vol. 35, no. 2, 2016, pp. 333–56.
Dederich, Ben, et al. “Analyzing Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance in Wisconsin: Possible Costs and Effects.” Workshop in Public Affairs, 2019.
Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) | U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla. Accessed 5 Nov. 2019.
Kim, S. “THE EFFECTS OF PAID FAMILY LEAVE ON FAMILY CAREGIVING FOR OLDER ADULTS.” Innovation in Aging, vol. 2, no. Suppl 1, 2018, p. 355.
More Subjects
Join our mailing list
© All Rights Reserved 2024