Workplace Fairness is the #1 Most Comprehensive Online Resource for Information About Workplace Rights
SILVER SPRING, Md. (Aug. 29, 2018) – Workplace Fairness believes that treatment of workers is sound public policy and good business practice. This year we celebrate a great step forward in workers’ rights. For 25 years the FMLA has permitted workers unpaid leave to deal with family medical issues. Paid medical leave may well be right around the corner. It is vital that workers stay informed about their rights in the workplace. Workplace Fairness remains committed to educating workers about their rights and advocating for positive change in labor and employment law.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law allowing employees to take time off of work for certain health and family reasons. It is intended to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families. The FMLA gives employees the right to take leave for serious health conditions, to bond with a new child, and military family leave. For more information on the Family and Medical Leave Act, visit the Workplace Fairness FMLA page.
In addition to the federal FMLA statute, 12 states and the District of Columbia have their own law governing unpaid family and medical leave. Some differences between state and federal laws include: the number of employees needed to be covered by the law, the conditions of leave, minimum hours required to be a covered employee, and length of the leave granted. It is important to check state laws in conjunction with FMLA to be fully aware of your leave rights.
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
It is important to know what’s covered and how and when to apply under each state’s law:
For example, in California, leave may be taken for bonding with new children, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, to care for one’s own disability, which includes pregnancy. Leave may be taken for up to six weeks for family leave and 52 weeks for own disability.
Connecticut’s family and medical leave law covers private sector employees. Under the statute, a covered employer is any enterprise or business who employs 75 or more employees, excluding the state, municipality, local or regional board of education, or a private or parochial elementary or secondary school.
Under the D.C. FMLA private and public employers with at least 20 employees must allow eligible employees to take up to 16 weeks of family leave (to care for a family member) plus 16 weeks of medical leave (for employee’s own serious health condition) in any 24-month period.
Starting July 1, 2018, the state of Massachusetts began following a three-year phase-in period entitling individuals working in the state of Massachusetts to paid family leave.
In New York, effective Jan. 1, 2018, all private employees, working either full or part-time, and have worked 26 or more consecutive weeks for a covered employee are eligible for leave.
Under the Oregon Family Leave Act, two weeks of bereavement leave is available to make funeral arrangements, attend the funeral or to grieve a family member who has passed away.
The Vermont Parental and Family Leave Law requires covered employers to provide parental leave, family leave, and short-term family leave to eligible employees.
Under the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act, intermittent leave is permitted in increments equal to the shortest increment permitted by the employer for any other non-emergency leave.
Workplace Fairness publishes a weekly newsletter, Workplace Week, which covers news and commentary on critical issues affecting employees and their advocates and stays on top of current news about sexual harassment and NDAs.A visit to the site will give you more comprehensive information at https://www.workplacefairness.org/
For those interested in finding out more about workplace rights and other related news stories, sign up for our E-Newsletter. The newsletter includes stories covered at Today’s Workplace Blog and the In the News sections of the website. Also visit the Workplace Fairness Career Center at https://workplacefairness.knockemdead.com/
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About Workplace Fairness
Workplace Fairness is a nonprofit organization that provides information, education and assistance to individual workers and their advocates nationwide and promotes public policies that advance employee rights.
Our goals are that workers and their advocates are educated about workplace rights and options for resolving workplace problems and that policymakers, members of the business community and the public at large view the fair treatment of workers as both good business practice and sound public policy.
Private Interview Opportunities
Individual interviews with Workplace Fairness staff and members of the Board of Directors can be scheduled to discuss workplace issues for workers and employers.
Workplace Fairness works toward these goals by:
- Making comprehensive information about workers’ rights—free of legal jargon—readily available to workers and to advocates and organizations that assist workers;
- Providing resources to support the work of legal services organizations, community-based organizations, law schools and private attorneys that provide free legal information and services to low-income workers;
- Presenting the employee perspective in publications, policy debates and public discussion.
A 2017 Webby Award Honoree, the award-winning Workplace Fairness website has newly updated information throughout the site, as part of the web’s most comprehensive resource educating workers about their legal rights in the workplace.
Sign up for the Workplace Fairness weekly newsletter, Workplace Week, here.
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Media Contact:
Paula Brantner, Senior Advisor
240-772-1205
paula@workplacefairness.org
https://www.workplacefairness.org/
