Even Bush's Labor Dept. Finds Huge Support for Family and Medical Leave

by Mike Hall , Jun 27, 2007

When the Department of Labor in December asked workers and employers to comment on their experiences with regulations that implement the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), many observers believed it was the first step by the Bush administration to revise the rules to restrict access to family leave as big business has clamored for since it was enacted in 1993.

Under FMLA, companies employing 50 or more people must allow workers up to 12 weeks a year of unpaid leave to care for themselves or family members during illnesses or for the birth or adoption of a child.

The overwhelmingly positive response from workers, family members and other advocates appears to have put the brakes on the corporate-backed changes - at least for now.

Victoria Lipnic, assistant secretary of labor, says the department has no imminent plans to issue changes to the regulations. In the forward to a report today by the department summarizing the comments, she says: