Mrs.DoerrELA02Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay 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? jobs where 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 an act that provides job protection in times of need, but it can be denied. “The Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA, became law in 1993 and requires certain employers to provide eligible employees with 12 workweeks of unpaid leave per year” (Nestor-Harper, Mary). While the leave is unpaid, it provides job protection and benefits to workers while 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 fired for this reason and also allows employees who have been discriminated against to sue for lost wages and other damages (Reuters, Thomson). This means that if employees' jobs cannot be put at risk while they are on FMLA leave at any time. The law states that all employee jobs are protected while the FMLA is in effect. “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 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 early 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, if necessary, for prenatal care (Reuters, Thomson and Figueroa, Amelia). FMLA also covers the employee's health condition and also if the employee's son, daughter, spouse or parent has a serious medical condition (Nestor-Harper, Mary). This shows that FMLA is intended to help employees' well-being and not harm them. “To be eligible for benefits, an employee must be employed by the company for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1250 hours during the 12 months preceding 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 have an eligible need for leave (Nestor-Harper, Mary). Additionally, an employer may deny leave if the employee's medical condition is not sufficiently serious (Nestor-Harper, Mary). “Sometimes an employee may also use vacation or sick time as an alternative if FMLA is not an option or may consider taking short- or long-term disability if offered through an offer. employer" (Reuters, Thomson). FMLA is not always offered in every situation. "Employers are required to post a notice to employees that outlines the basic provisions of the FMLA and are subject to a penalty of $100 for voluntarily failing to post such notice" (Figueroa, Amelia). This means/.