Ms. DoerrELA02Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay from February 2018 The Family and Medical Leave Act Did you know that before the Family and Medical Leave Act, it was very common for employees to lose their jobs when they had to take a week off (Figueroa, Amelia)? This was very common before FMLA with women, but also with men. The Family and Medical Leave Act was created in 1993 to protect the jobs of men and women (Figueroa, Amelia). The Family and Medical Leave Act is a law that provides job protection when needed, but it can be denied. “The FMLA Family and Medical Leave Act took effect in 1993 and requires certain employers to offer eligible employees 12 work weeks of unpaid leave per year” (Nestor-Harper, Mary). Although the leave is unpaid, it provides job protection and benefits to workers when they are unable to work. “The law seeks to promote the stability and economic security of families as well as the nation's interest in preserving the integrity of families” (Figueroa, Amelia). The FMLA also provides that employees who take leave cannot be discriminated against or terminated for that reason, and also allows employees who are discriminated against to sue for their lost wages and other damages (Reuters, Thomson). This means that if employees' jobs cannot be jeopardized at any time while they are on FMLA leave. The law states that all employees' jobs are protected while the FMLA is enforced. “The law seeks to promote the stability and economic security of families as well as the nation's interest in preserving the integrity of families” (Figueroa, Amelia). “Before FMLA, women routinely lost their jobs when they took 4 weeks or more off to have a child. The result was limited career prospects for women. Some women have even put their health at risk by returning to work too soon in an attempt to protect their jobs” (Reuters, Thomson). The Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid leave for the birth of a child, the adoption of a child, and for prenatal care if necessary (Reuters, Thomson and Figueroa, Amelia). The FMLA also covers the medical condition of that employee and also if the employee's son, daughter, spouse or parent suffers from a serious health condition (Nestor-Harper, Mary). This demonstrates that FMLA is intended to contribute to, not harm, employee well-being. “To be eligible for benefits, an employee must be employed by the company for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months prior to leave” (Nestor-Harper, Mary). If these qualifications are not met or accepted, depending on the need for leave, FMLA may be denied. For example, an employee may be denied leave if they do not need leave (Nestor-Harper, Mary). Additionally, an employer may refuse to terminate the employee. the state of health is not serious enough (Nestor-Harper, Mary). “Sometimes an employee may also use vacation or sick leave as an alternative if FMLA is not an option or may consider taking short- or long-term disability if it is offered through a program health insurance. employer” (Reuters, Thomson). FMLA is not always offered in all situations. “Employers are required to post a notice to employees describing the basic provisions of the FMLA and are subject to a penalty of 100/.