iSpring is in the air and that, for some of us, means baseball. For fans, there is nothing better than the promise of a new season, when any team – at least in theory – could wind up playing in October. But life doesn’t stop for baseball, something that was highlighted this week when Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy missed the first two games of the season when his wife gave birth on Opening Day.
The Family and Medical Leave Act recognizes that there is a role for both moms and dads in caring for a new child. That is why the law allows covered workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain scenarios, including to bond with a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed child. It also gives workers the same unpaid leave rights to provide care for injured or ill relatives, or to attend to one’s own medical needs, and it guarantees that a worker can return to the job at the same level with the same pay and benefits. The FMLA provides these protections because workers should not have to choose between their jobs and their health or the health and welfare of family members who need their care.
My agency, the Wage and Hour Division, is charged with administering and enforcing the FMLA, the cornerstone of the department’s efforts to promote work-life balance. We strive to make available a wide range of compliance assistance materials, including a recently issued employee guide, available so that both workers and employers are aware of their rights and obligations under the law. Since 1993, we know FMLA leave has been used more than 100 million times, and has made a tremendous difference in the lives of millions of workers by providing them greater protection and flexibility. We also know that the FMLA has not imposed an undue burden on employers, based on the results of a recent survey.
No one, not even a professional athlete, should have to choose between succeeding at work and being a loving family caregiver. We at the department wish the Murphy family, and all families, success in achieving work-life balance.
