Since 1993, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has allowed most employees to take unpaid leave to deal with certain medical or family emergencies without fear of losing their jobs or insurance benefits.
The law provides for up to 12 weeks off a year to care for a seriously ill child, deal with an aging parent or attend to any number of situations that might arise on the home front. In 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law expanded provisions of the FMLA to help family members of those serving in the National Guard and reserves.
This week, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced plans to take the act a step further by extending the leave to cover families of those in the regular armed forces, as well as families of veterans for up to five years after leaving the military.
The proposal is one more way for government to express its appreciation to our service men and women, as well as to their family members. The conflicts of the past decade have required military families to face a wide array of unexpected circumstances. Expanding the provisions of the FMLA to accommodate military families is a relatively inexpensive but important way for Americans to show their gratitude for the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom.
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