Handling Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests correctly is a challenge for even the most seasoned managers, and there’s a bill in Congress right now would impact employers’ current FMLA responsibilities.
The Domestic Violence Leave Act was reintroduced to the House, and it would allow employees to take FMLA leave to deal with the effects of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking inflicted upon them, a spouse (domestic partners included), a parent or a child.
Under the bill, victims of domestic violence would be allowed to take FMLA leave to:
- obtain medical attention
- seek legal assistance
- participate in a legal proceeding
- attend a support group
- get counseling, and
- participate in safety planning.
The original text of the Domestic Violence Leave Act can be found by here.
As we mentioned previously, there are several bills being weighed by Congress right now that would expand employers’ FMLA responsibilities, including the Parental Bereavement Act, the FMLA Inclusion Act and the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act.