Controversy
Critics of the act have suggested that by mandating various forms of leave that are used more often by female than male employees, the Act, like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, makes women more expensive to employ than men. They argue that employers will engage in subtle discrimination against women in the hiring process, discrimination which is much less obvious to detect than pregnancy discrimination against the already hired. Supporters counter that the act, in contrast to the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, is aimed at both women and men, and is part of an overall strategy to encourage both men and women to take family-related leave in In January, 2011, two grieving parents, Kelly Farley of Chicago and Barry Kluger, of Scottsdale, Arizona, began a national petition to urge Congress to amend the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 to include loss of a child, which currently is not covered in the national bill nor the states, although Maine offers leave for a service member killed in action.The Farley-Kluger Initiative is supported by Parents of Murdered Children (POMC), the military organizations Blue Star Families, Marine Parents.com, Gold Star Family Support, The JED Foundation (college-age suicide), The American Institute of Healthcare Professionals, The American Academy of Grief Counselors, The Children's Bereavement Center, the M.I.S.S. Foundation and others. http://www.farleykluger.com In Summer of 2011, Sen.Jon Tester (D-MT), inspired by signatures and letters received from the Farley-Kluger Initiative Petition, introduced S1358, The Parental Bereavement Act of 2011 and it currently sits in Committee in the Senate. S1358 has five co-sponsors; Sens. Durbin, McCaskill, Brown, Begich and Akaka. The Farley-Kluger Initiative has received major media coverage and as of May 7, 2012, had more than 36,000 petitions sent. The focus of this movement will center on the new 113th Congress for a companion House Bill with a rally planned for February 5, 2013, the 20th anniversary of the FMLA.
Read more about this topic: Family And Medical Leave Act Of 1993
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