Proposed Amendment to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Kelly Farley of the Grieving Dads Project has started an online petition to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to include the death of a child as part of allowable reasons to ask for leave from work. Currently in the US, grieving parents receive whatever time off their company will allow them after the death of a child, normally only a few days. In my husband's case, he was granted two.

Two days.

I was a stay-at-home/work-at-home parent at the time, so the FMLA did not apply to me. The FMLA allows 12 weeks of time off to take care of an ill spouse or family member without fear that you will lose your job because of your absence.

From Kelly's blog:

"It is my opinion that the death of a child is one of the worst experiences that anyone can endure.  Many employers allow for bereavement leave up to 2-3 days.  Employees are expected to use their available vacation time after the 2-3 days of bereavement leave have been expended.  If the employee exhausts both of these benefits and still requires additional time off the employer has grounds to terminate the employee.

I find it unacceptable that the death of a child is not included as a protected reason to qualify for 12 weeks of unpaid leave as part of the FMLA.  If you agree with me, I ask you to do two things:  1) Click on the link below and sign the e-petition and 2) Share this link with people you know by emails it to your contacts."


If you agree, go here, and sign the petition.