WASHINGTON, DC. - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter demonstrated her unwavering commitment to workers and families by introducing the Family and Medical Leave Restoration Act. This bill repeals certain restrictive rules regarding the use of Family and Medical Leave that were enacted during the previous administration.
"The Family and Medical Leave Act helps ensure that workers do not have to choose between keeping their job and caring for a loved one or themselves," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "My bill will restore the Family and Medical Leave Act to its original intent and spirit."
Specifically, the Family and Medical Leave Restoration Act will:
Restore protections that prevent an employer from forcing an employee from using more incremental FMLA leave than is medically necessary;
Reverse limitations placed on the use of accrued paid leave while on FMLA;
Restore the prohibition on denying attendance bonuses as a consequence for taking FMLA leave;
Restore protections that prohibit the waiving of an employee's FMLA rights without review and approval by the Department of Labor or the courts;
Restore protections that prohibit an employer from approving or denying FMLA leave based on compliance or non-compliance with employer leave request policies;
Restore employee privacy by reversing regulations that would allow an employer to directly contact an employee's medical provider;
Restore previous "fitness-for-duty" certification rules for employees who take intermittent leave;
Direct the Secretary to revise the Bush regulations to revisit the new, burdensome treatment and recertification timelines imposed by the previous Department of Labor, and
Direct the Secretary to revise the provided medical certification template to include the definition of a "serious health condition."
This will be a real help to NH families. Women seem to most often become caregivers to ailing parents and relatives, and this bill will ensure they won't lose their jobs or be denied bonuses because of taking a leave to care for a loved one.
While Judd Gregg and the GOP are still having tantrums over losing power, it's heartening to know that our Congresswoman never needs reminding of what she's doing in Washington. She's there to represent the people of NH.
