Ernst, Hassan Support Working American Families

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are supporting hardworking American families with new legislation to ensure that married couples employed by the same organization are no longer unfairly limited in the amount of family medical leave they can take.

“As every mother knows, those first few weeks with a newborn are precious, and parents shouldn’t be punished if they happen to work for the same employer,” said Senator Ernst, who is a mother and a grandmother. “This commonsense fix guarantees hardworking parents are treated fairly, and it also ensures families have the time to care for a loved one who’s ill, including our brave servicemembers. I will always work to support our Iowa families.”

“Hard-working families deserve the ability to take earned leave from their jobs upon the birth of a child or when caring for a parent with a serious health condition, but because of a loophole in our laws, married couples who work for the same employer are unfairly limited in the leave available to them,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation makes a long-overdue fix to the earned family and medical leave available to couples, providing them each with 12 weeks of unpaid leave regardless of whether they work for the same employer or not. I will continue to work to ensure that hard-working families in New Hampshire and across the country get the support that they need, including access to leave.”

While the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) Act provides unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons, it limits the amount of leave married couples that work for the same employer may take to spend time at home with their new baby or care for a sick loved one or servicemember. The bipartisan Fair Access for Individuals to Receive (FAIR) Leave Act will repeal this limitation and modernize the law to provide more comprehensive and effective leave for American families.

The bill enables eligible spouses working for the same employer to each take up to 12 work weeks each (24 total) of unpaid leave in a 12 month period for the following FMLA-qualifying reasons:

• The birth of a son or daughter;
• The placement and adoption of a child; or
• The care of a parent with a serious health condition.

Read the bill here.

###