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Family Leave Act needs aid
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March 4, 1997: 7:54 p.m. ET
Abuses of the policy are beginning to cause problems for companies
From Correspondent Kelli Arena
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WASHINGTON (CNNfn) -- As Congress continues to introduce bills intended to make workplaces more flexible, some businesses argue that laws already on the books could use some fine tuning.
Particularly in need of help is the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The act, which President Clinton signed into law, was designed to help employees deal with serious illnesses, the birth or adoption of a child, or caring for a sick relative.
But many companies say the Family and Medical Leave Act has prompted unforeseen problems.
For starters, according to a recent survey, almost half the companies that responded say they've had employees who took the time off, and then never came back.
"While somebody is on family medical leave, as long as they tell the employer they are on that leave, they are entitled to continuation of health insurance," Susan Meisinger, Society for Human Resource Management, said. "And that can be a considerable cost consideration."
In some instances, workers know they won't be returning, but want the coverage. Another abuse is taking time off for minor illnesses such as allergies.
The law's definition of a serious health condition is very broad. But the most common complaint focuses on administrative burdens.
"We do need to maintain records. We devote half of our human resource time that could be devoted to training and education in compliance issues," Ronald Bullock, chief executive of The Bison Group, said. (124K WAV) or (124K AIFF)
Bullock says finding qualified replacement workers isn't easy, especially for small or medium sized business. In addition, there are times other labor laws kick in, and complying is complicated and costly.
Employers are not suggesting the law be scrapped, because they recognize the benefits of having a family-friendly workplace.
But a legislative tune-up would be welcome.
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