... Why the Current FMLA policy is not Enough? The dynamics of the American family have changed. No longer is a working father, stay at home mother, and kids considered the norm. Even the definition of “family” has changed dramatically. Changes in the American “norm” raise an important question, “Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be changed?” to meet our communities evolving needs. In the United States, the current Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) only provides up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave, but compared to other counties with similar policies the act does not have enough coverage to protect the average worker and should be changed. A woman walks into her human resources office crying, asking to speak to someone. She is currently on FMLA leave to care for her sick child who has been diagnosed with leukemia. She is a single parent with two other children at home to care for as well. Even with insurance coverage, the bills are mounting because FMLA is unpaid and she has exhausted all of her personal time off (PTO). With her steady income cut-off, she is concerned how she will pay her bills. She has no close family to turn to for support and does not qualify for government assistance. Her story is just one example. According to the United State Census, in 2010 single parent households comprised about 9.6 percent of the total U.S. household population. There are about 10.4 million single-mother families and 2.5 million single father families. About...
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...Issues, Solutions, Pros & Cons: Everything You Should Know About The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Traci Johnson ENG.215: Research and Writing Prof. D. Meadows What is FMLA? How does it work? These questions are very common when it comes to FMLA. Many people do not understand the fundamentals of this act, nor the effects that it can have on the employer as well as the employee, and fellow employees. Throughout this paper, you will learn what FMLA is, how it works, the issues, pros, and cons of this act, as well as solutions that could better this act, and help it to be more easily understood and beneficial to all parties involved. What is FMLA? FMLA is the abbreviation for the Family and Medical Leave Act; which is a bill that was passed in 1993. This bill states that federal law required companies and employers, who employ more than 50 employees, must provide their employees with 12 work weeks of job-protected and unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons. However, not all employees will qualify to receive leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. There are several qualifying factors that determine whether or not the employee is eligible for leave under this act, and whether or not a company is even required to honor leave under this act. It is required by law that all public, state, local, federal, and educational agencies, and all private sector employers who employ 50 or more people for at least 20 workweeks in a 12 months year...
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...EMPLOYEES 2 THE COMPANY: WAL-MART INC.2 THE PRACTICE: ETHICAL TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES 2 WAL-MART’S ETHCIAL TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES3 RECOMENDATIONS5 EVEN PAY SCALE 5 MORE ACCOUNTABILITY5 CHINA’S LABOR LAWS AND CONDITIONS 6 CONCLUSION6 Executive Summary Wal-Mart is one of the biggest empires in the world. It dominates many markets by providing many different products for the lowest prices guaranteed. You can’t go anywhere without seeing a Wal-Mart, which has more revenue than the entire workforce of Utah. It has revolutionized the world or commerce, through implementing state of the art inventory tracking systems and mastering logistics. Many argue that it has become so successful and powerful from being unethical with its employees. Wal-Mart is currently involved in the largest job discrimination class action lawsuit in U.S. history affecting about 1.5 million women. Wal-Mart also has lawsuits concerning wage and hour violations, executives also admitted to being told by superiors to not pay overtime. It continues to have problems with its labor force in china, forcing them to work seven days a week and paying them less than China’s minimum wage, and having employees work with dangerous chemicals without the “right to know”, as its called in America. Other than the labor issues, Wal-Mart is a very ethical corporation and well respected. It employs 2.1 million individuals in America and other countries, and also offers work opportunities for the handicapped and disabled...
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...Family Medical Leave Act requires companies with greater than 50 employees to provide 12 weeks unpaid leave for new mothers. The act, as it currently stands, excludes many workers that are employed by smaller businesses and inadequately supports those that do essentially penalizing the mother and child which can result in social inequality. This paper explores why providing paid maternity leave is a better ethical and economic decision for businesses and society in general. Using a comparative analysis on maternity leave in other countries and the potential positive outcomes of providing paid maternity leave by working to achieve a stronger work-life balance. This paper also explores ways in which payment of maternity leave benefits can be addressed. A Review On Providing Paid Maternity Leave and The Benefits of Valuing Parents In The Workplace Maternity benefits, once believed to be only a consideration for young women who were contemplating a family, is now an issue for both men and women who will either biologically have or adopt child(ren). Most of us are familiar with the Family Medical Leave Act issued in 1993 in the United States that states “roughly 60% of the women in the United States are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave” (Ludsteck, 2014) and that’s with companies that employ 50 or more. In comparison to other countries’ provisions, these 12 unpaid weeks could be interpreted as an insult to an expectant parent. Let’s begin with Germany. Beginning...
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...Although Nike may be technically removed from responsibility in some areas, it clearly has the obligation to be certain that exploitation by subcontractors do not occur. As a world’s biggest and largest manufacturing company of sports and athletic gear they should have some Moral responsibilities and Ethics in doing the business. Surely the pay and working conditions that the workers of subcontractors receive is unpaid in large part to the contract that has been negotiated by Nike. If Nike had chosen to make improved working conditions a part of the arrangement, them those benefits may have been passed on to the workers. Still, Nike is a publicly owned firm whose goal is to improve the wealth of its shareholders. The workers in these Asian countries were happy, even eager, to accept the conditions that were provided as a manufacturer of Nike. The reason is that those wages were probably equal or superior to wages available from other sources. If Nike were to leave the country because of the pressures placed upon it, the workers would undoubtedly suffer greatly. Labor standards Nike has the responsibility to hold subcontractors to those conditions that exist only in thesubcontracted countries. Nike has to follow the rules and conditions of the host country and seeto that they do not violate or break any rules in that country. If it insisted on prevailingconditions in the United States, there would be little reason for Nike to seek contractors fromoutside countries. However...
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...PR Public relations (PR) is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders, and implementing planned programs of action which will serve in terms of building, directing and maintaining a company’s public image. As opposed to advertising, PR is an unpaid form of communication traditionally but that has begun to change in the present scenario. PR practice is an art since it involves the element of specialized skill, knowledge and methods. PR practice is not completely objective, as there are subjective factors involved. PR practice deals with the human element, which is by nature unpredictable; therefore not completely objective. PR practice also considers the inputs which social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology, anthropology, and statistics) can contribute. For example, a PR practitioner would have to consider cultural factors when planning a program or campaign for its targeted publics so that there would be less risk of unintentionally offending other segments of the society. Public relations is also internal and external communication to inform or influence specific publics using press and media. Some public relations specialists work as full-time employees of companies, politicians, nonprofit organizations, or governments; while others work for PR agencies or as free-lance PR consultants that contract their services to clients (usually corporations, wealthy individuals or other special interests) who pay...
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...Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Major Provision of FMLA The Family Medical Leave Act was enacted into law in 1993 to enable workers to take time off from work to care for their new children, themselves or immediate family members in the event of a serious medical condition. Additional legislation passed in 2012 allows covered employees up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for eligible service members with serious medical conditions. FMLA applies to all private companies with fifty or more employees and the employees of public and school employers, regardless of the number of individuals employed. Employees must have a minimum of twelve months employment with the covered employer and worked a minimum of 1250 hours in that twelve month period. FMLA provides individual employees of eligible employers with the ability to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off in a 12 month period, including intermittent and reduced schedule with the employer's approval. FMLA can be used by covered employees to provide care for newborn, adopted or foster children; to provide assistance to immediate family members with serious medical conditions or to address serious medical conditions of their own. Employees covered by FMLA are able to maintain their group health coverage benefits during the period of leave and are able to return to the same job, or equivalent, with the same pay as their earnings prior to FMLA absence. Employers are required to provide employees with notice...
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...employees the ability to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, although they do have the option of using all of their calendar year given vacation time to compensate themselves while on FMLA. Because employee A, fell into several of the major FMLA provisions, he had been granted the ability to take leave. How FMLA Applies: I do believe that the Family Medical Leave Act applies to employee A. As I have found, several areas that favor his rights to take FMLA. The birth of his children, the health of his children as they were born prematurely, and lastly he has the right as a spouse to take care of his wife and children. Although, he has the right to take leave, through the Act, this still does not require us as the employer to pay wages for the 11 weeks he did not work. We have followed the law, and the law says that we must hold his job, and continue to treat him as an employee that is on leave. Did we violate FMLA? I have found that no violation has occurred between us and Employee A. We have allowed employee A to take leave as he requested, we allowed him the full 12 weeks, although he wants to come back after only 11 weeks. In addition, to us following the stated rules. We have also allowed employee A to return back to his previous held job, with the salary he was making before he left. The new manager was within his right to reject the back pay of the 11 weeks. Because it is not a policy of our company to pay while on unpaid leave, and according to the FMLA, we do not...
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...Micro-Macro Linkages Between Gender, Development, and Growth: Implications for the Caribbean Region Stephanie Seguino Professor, Department of Economics Old Mill 340 University of Vermont Burlington, VT 05401 Tel. 1 802 656-0187 Fax 1 802 656-8405 Email sseguino@zoo.uvm.edu July 2008 Acknowledgements: I am grateful for helpful comments and insights from Rhoda Reddock, Christine Barrow, Caren Grown, three anonymous referees, and participants at the Building Capacity for Gender Analysis in Policy Making, Programme Development, and Implementation: Research Seminar and Workshop, University of West Indies, Barbados, November 2007. Micro-Macro Linkages Between Gender, Development, and Growth: Implications for the Caribbean Region Abstract Over the last two decades, scholars have investigated the two-way relationship between gender inequality on the one hand, and economic development and growth on the other. Research in this area offers new ways to address the economic stagnation and crisis developing countries have experienced over the last two decades. This paper contributes to that literature, exploring the channels by which gender inequality affects, and in important ways, constrains economic development and growth in the Caribbean region. It further explores the endogeneity of gender inequality to the macroeconomic policy environment. The paper concludes with a discussion of economic policies that can promote a win-win outcome—greater gender...
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...remain rare. Whereas companies have embraced flexibility in virtually every other aspect of their businesses (inventory control, production schedules, financing), full-time workers’ schedules remain largely inflexible. Employers often demand workers be available around the clock. Moreover, many employees have no right to a minimum number of sick or vacation days; almost two thirds of all workers – and an even larger percentage of low-income parents – lack the ability to take a day off to care for a family member.2 The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 finally guaranteed that workers at large companies could take a leave of absence for the birth or adoption of a baby, or for the illness of a family member. Yet that guaranteed leave is unpaid. Many businesses are finding ways to give their most valued employees flexibility but, all too often, workers who need flexibility find themselves shunted into part-time, temporary, on-call, or contract jobs with reduced wages and career opportunities – and, often, no benefits. A full quarter of American workers are in these jobs. Only 15 percent of women and 12 percent of men in such jobs receive health insurance from their employers.3 JUNE 2005 A number of European countries provide workers the right to a part-time schedule and all have enacted...
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...conditions standards. Some of these violations include “military style drills, verbal abuse by superiors” and “excessively long working hours, exhausting rates of work, and more (CLW).” In order to mitigate the widespread problem of inadequate working conditions in China, several different solutions—individual solutions through different parties—must be synergized. Only through collaboration between several different parties can the condition of the workers be changed for the better. In 2012, Apple Inc. and its main manufacturer Foxconn collectively arranged inspections for Foxconn’s major Chinese factories due to pressure from the Fair Labor Association (“FLA”). What is the FLA? Who does it belong to etc. According to the Chicago Tribune, this was a “response to one of the largest investigations ever conducted of a U.S. company’s operations outside of America (Gupta).” In order to placate critics of Apple and Foxconn, the two companies were obligated to bow to the pressure from the Fair Labor Association (“FLA”) and go through with the probe. After inspecting three separate Foxconn plants and 35,000 workers, the FLA discovered several violations of labor law, most noticeably extreme hours and unpaid...
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...Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Illegal Immigrants Presently there are countless hot subjects on the minds of Americans such as abortion, drone wars, same sex marriage but then one of the most discussed topic is the whether illegal immigrants should be deported back to their legitimate countries. Actually this topic has been politicized for more than a decade now without a sustainable resolution. And so what are the consequences of tolerating illegal immigrants in our country? For this reason in this paper we are going to present the limitations of illegal immigrants in the United States in an organized argumentation justifying why illegal immigrants should be deported back to their countries. Did you know that illegal immigrants cost American taxpayers more than three hundred billion dollars annually. It has been reported that an illegal pregnant woman in the United States receives free medical service that cost at around six thousand dollars. According to a CRS report illegal immigrants were responsible for more than 16, 000 which is twice the crimes commuted by legal immigrants. Additionally the United States Consensus Bureau estimated that there are more than twelve million illegal immigrants in the United States, this is actually equivalent to the combined populations of Arizona, Iowa and New Mexico. Even worse the infiltration of illegal aliens this has resulted in a weighty increase in the rate of unemployment. To tell the truth these illegal immigrants are certainly...
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...paper topic. This worksheet will lead you through the steps by doing Part A for Unit 3 and Part B for Unit 4. Your efficient, effective research will assure a solid, strong drafted paper for Unit 5. By completing this worksheet, you will have at least six paragraphs done for your draft! NOTES: You need to complete all of this Research Worksheet before drafting your paper. Substandard draft papers submitted without a completed research worksheet cannot earn a grade. Enjoy researching, paraphrasing, and citing other authors using this research worksheet! Worksheet Components: • Problem Statement and Key Words FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. Family medical leave Paid time off Employee benefits Library Research, Source #1 Capella library Internet Research, Source #1 www.google.com References and Finalizing Unit 3 main post. • www.dol.gov/dol/topic/benefits-leave/fmla.htm • Library Research, Sources #2 and #3 • http://site.ebrary.com.library.capella.edu/lib/capella/docDetail.action?docID=10103868&p00=employee+benefits • The employer's legal handbook (0-87337-499-1, 978-0-87337-499-6), 3rd National ed. / Steingold, Fred. •...
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...begin with what is FMLA, that is a thorough definition of FMLA and what it was originally intended for. Then I will proceed with the why of FMLA. Why was this act proposed and why was it passed into law. Next, I will discuss how the FMLA works. How is it supposed to work and is it actual-ly working? Included in this, I will present some case studies to that will present different as-pects of FMLA. And finally I will discuss who uses FMLA. Who was it intended to help, who it is actually helping and who it is harming. Also, I will present case studies that will either confirm or deny if the FMLA is working. Finally I will offer some possible solutions to help to fix what is broken with FMLA and even possibly offer some suggestions for further research on FMLA. Introduction FMLA is designed to allow certain family members up to 12 weeks unpaid leave for family emergencies. It was enacted in 1993 but has had some changes made to it due to legisla-tion. FMLA was originally designed to cover both employees and employers. Since its inception, there were some issues with it and the government and several other agencies have worked to-gether to attempt to make FMLA better and more manageable. All employers with 50 or more employees are "covered employers" under FMLA, the same is true for public employers of primary and secondary schools, regardless of the number of employees (Rosseau, 2008, 97). Does this hurt or help the small business? The...
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...and San Francisco to model upgrades for our public transportation. In addition to transportation poverty is another major issue that is a predictor of infant mortality rates. According to United Way reports, they find that “43 percent of St. Louis-area households can’t meet basic living expenses” (Moffitt, 2017). One of the short-term solutions to combat this issue that the United Way has set in place is their 2-1-1 hotline. This hotline is free and confidential for people use to seek out information about services they may need to help with financial struggles. This line is dedicated to producing resources for individuals that may need financial assistance and support. It would also be our suggestion to see the St. Louis region and even the state of Missouri implement a law similar to India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to target unemployment, underemployment, and poverty. When we address these determinants, we will surely see a decrease in infant mortality. In order to improve birth outcomes for the United States, we need to address the issue of maternity leave.” The United States offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave through the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Western European nations have implemented paid maternity leave since 1945 ranging from 14 weeks in countries like Germany & Switzerland to 77 weeks in Sweden. Western European nations are also offering 100 percent paid pre delivery leave for 6 to 8 weeks in countries...
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