Statement on the Family and Medical Leave Act

Washington, DC (February 5, 2013) — Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on the 20th anniversary on the Family and Medical Leave Act:

"Since the enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act 20 years ago, workers have been able to take unpaid leave to care for themselves or their family members without fear of losing their jobs. Workers have used FMLA over 100 million times. Working men and women have been able to take leave to care for their sick loved ones, to deal with the complications of pregnancy, care for new babies or to handle their own serious health conditions. Signed by President Clinton in 1993, FMLA has recently been improved by President Obama to expand FMLA leave for military families and to include more airline employees.

"There is still work to be done to ensure that every American can take time off to address serious health or family issues. 137 countries require employers to offer paid leave, and 121 countries guarantee workers at least two weeks paid a year. It's time for America to join them. The FMLA took an important step in assuring workers that their jobs will be protected when family or health emergencies arise. We must build upon the Family and Medical Leave Act to further help America's workers balance their responsibilities on the job with their responsibilities to their families."

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