Is Family Leave Act Too Soft or Too Tough?
There’s a domestic squabble brewing over the Family and Medical Leave Act. Considered by its advocates to be an important protection for those trying to balance family and work, the act allows workers to take as many as 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn or a sick child, spouse or parent, or to recuperate from their own serious medical condition — without fear of losing their job. Many say it helps avoid costly nursing-home or other institutional stays and lowers turnover costs by helping to retain workers. As many as 13 million workers took FMLA leave in 2005, according to the Department of Labor, the latest data available.
