Over the years, The United States Government has taken great care to protect employee's rights to take care of themselves and their families. Two of the greatest pieces of legislation passed to protect employees' rights to themselves and their families are the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Both signed and enacted into law at very different social times, but both emulate the commitment the U.S. Government has to protect workers and their families.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was written into law February 5, 1993 by President Bill Clinton; which was his first piece of legislation. The law was adopted to provide workers with rights to protect their jobs while taking care of medical emergencies regarding oneself or their family. Prior to the FMLA, workers had no job security if they took off time to be with their families.
Hartman Indian
Hong Kong Science Museum Occupational Safety & Hea...
English: Empire, LA, December 7, 2005 - Air qualit...The Family and Medical Leave Act applies to employers with 50 or more employees that work within a 75 mile radius. "Eligible employees must have been with the company for one year and for at least 1,250 hours during the one year proceeding the time off "(Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). The employee must give at least 30 days' notice when applicable (child birth for example). The FMLA affects only about 5 percent of U.S. employers and about 40 percent of U.S. employees. "Studies have also shown that only one third of eligible workers have used FMLA citing fear of potential retaliation from employers as the reason" (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007).
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was written into law December 29, 1970 by President Richard Nixon. The compelling social issue of workers' safety resulted in President Nixon taking action to protect workers from blatant employer neglect. Prior to...