First Lady, Michelle Obama announced new regulations to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which will support military families and caregivers of the wounded, ill and injured this week at the Department of Labor.
“We want to recognize the extraordinary dedication, sacrifice and service of our nation’s caregivers, not simply with words, but with deeds,” said Mrs. Obama. “These are men and women and children who will do anything for their loved ones, no matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, no matter the consequences.”
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis joined the First Lady to recognize the contributions and highlight the many challenges facing servicemembers and their families when they come home–”many come home stressed, ill and injured…they need attention, care and support.”
Generally, FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, or job protected leave in a 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons such as birth, adoption or placement of a child, care of a family member with a health condition, or the employee’s own health condition.
The Act was further expanded in 2008 to provide certain family members of the National Guard, Reserves or Regular Armed Forces up to 26-workweeks in a single 12-month period to care for a servicemember with a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty.
The White House-Labor’s rule changes would extend FMLA leave protections to not only include military caregivers, but also military families as a whole. Key aspects of the new rules would allow for:
- 26-weeks of military caregiver leave entitlement to cover family members caring for recent veterans with serious line of duty injuries or illness, including conditions that may surface up to five years after the member leaves military service.
- Family members whose spouse, child or parent of an active duty member to take leave to deal with deployment-related issues and events such as financial, legal, child care arrangement, attend military events before, during or after deployment to a foreign country.
- Up to 15-days of leave to spend time with a servicemember during rest and recuperation leave.
I was heartened to see such support continue to be a priority in our government as well as very senior officials at the highest levels of the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor in attendance to celebrate these families-caregivers and endorse the new changes to the FMLA.
But, nothing compared to the humble and extremely appreciative response of those military, veterans, families, and caregivers in the audience that day.
One caregiver, RyAnne Noss, spouse of Sgt. 1st Class Scott Noss who was injured in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in early 2007, refected this appreciation, but more important, the incredible strength, determination and unfailing love she has for her husband–to care for him no matter what.
“I’m proud to have been by Scott’s side through his rehabilitation and proud to have him home with me now where he continues to require around-the-clock-care…I’m proud to be my husband’s caregiver” RyAnne told attendees.
Like RyAnne, many caregivers and military families, appreciate any and all the help they can get.
And MOAA wants ReAnne and other caregivers-families to know they can count on us to to support them and be their voice.