Getting a Grip on FLMA can Improve Employee Retention
In the summer of 2021, a dear friend shared with me that she was at a breaking point. After more than 12 months of working from home (in a corner of their primary bedroom), spending thousands of dollars on a mosaic of childcare solutions (daycare, camps, summer school, etc.), and dealing with an unsupportive and often abusive manager, she was struggling. Her anxiety was at an all time high and she felt distanced from friends and family. In short: her quality of life was deteriorating and she knew she needed to make a change.
My friend, even in a diminished state, is remarkably strong. She set out to learn about the family leave options available to her through her benefits package. Through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) she was able to take a paid leave of absence—several months in her case—to get back on her feet and examine her next move.
I admire her for her tenacity in her efforts to navigate the complexity of her benefits package through her large corporate employer and her HR team for supporting her through the process. But not everyone is so lucky. Not every working parent is in the headspace to consider a leave, versus a departure. Not every working parent has the professional resources available to them to research and leverage their benefits in the ways they need.
Working Parents Aren’t Doing Better
We’ve entered yet another “season” of the academic school year where working parents are facing continued, and even increased, uncertainty. As the Omicron variant continues to blaze through our country, working parents (like myself) are biting their fingernails, waiting for the dreaded email: Given the alarming number of COVID-19 cases in students and staff, we’ve decided to move to remote learning. This simply means that parents are still dealing with the same issues they dealt with in March of 2020…it’s just that the world is ready to move forward, leaving working parents to deal with the problems alone.
If you Google the phrase “working parents breaking point” you’ll find articles dating back more than 18 months stating that working parents are overwhelmed, struggling…are broken. By now, we’ve all read the article in the Atlantic by Dan Sinker titled Parents are Not Okay, from August of 2021. The pandemic isn’t over yet and employers need to be cognizant of the strain working parents continue to face.
Increase Retention through FMLA Education
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.4 million workers left their jobs in September 2021 and the trend ins’t likely slowing especially as COVID-19 cases continue to hit pandemic daily records and workers face ongoing stress.
But what if there was a way to give your loyal workers a break—rather than lose them completely? Admittedly, I didn’t know much about my FMLA options when I considered leaving my last job and I don’t think I am not alone. It’s not something we keep top of mind or pay much attention to at open enrollment because it seems so unlikely that we’ll need it. However, if managers, supervisors, team leads, etc., are well-educated on the options FMLA has available, perhaps it could save a valued employee?
The Basics of FMLA Policies
FMLA was enacted in 1993 as a United States labor law to provide employees protection when they need time away from work to care for a family members’–or their own—healthcare.
While the protection that FMLA provides is unpaid, it could be the difference between quitting a job and simply taking a step back when an employee hits their breaking point. Parents are experiencing unparalleled mental health challenges due to the combined pressures of the pandemic and the broken U.S. childcare system. For eligible employees, FMLA can provide time away to focus on any serious health concern…mental or physical.
What does FMLA cover?
Under FMLA, eligible employees can receive up to 12 weeks of “protected” time off per year. Protected? This means that the employer is required to retain the employee, but not necessarily required to pay them. Payment policies for FMLA vary by workplace. More about that below.
Who is eligible for FMLA?
Public agency employees (state, federal governments and public schools)
Employees of private corporations with 50+ team members within a specific location
While FMLA policy can seem complicated, it provides an outline that can be helpful in starting a conversation with your manager or employees. Private companies that are not within the realm of FMLA mandates may still elect to provide similar benefits.
An Important Lesson: Don’t Leave it all to HR (or Your Employees)
In short, by the time a burned out employee makes it all the way to HR, it could be too late. It’s also not realistic to rely completely on employees to navigate the complex benefits packages offered by their employers—anytime, but especially when they’re already in an overwhelmed mental space.
By training immediate team leaders on the benefits of FMLA, you may intercept a possible loss. A month (or more) may be what they need to get a handle on home life, reset their goals, and return with a fresh mindset. Prioritizing FMLA training empowers team members to proactively problem-solve with employees who are showing signs of burnout.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room
Of course, we can’t have this discussion without talking about the fact that the United States does not require companies to provide paid leave to families—it’s up to companies to decide whether they offer paid leave to their employees. Often times (most times) taking advantage of FMLA means that families go without pay for the time that they’re gone—something that isn’t feasible for many families. It’s great that their jobs will be there when they return, but if the family can’t afford to miss out on the pay through the leave, it prohibits them from taking advantage of the program.
Exploring other avenues, like disability leave for mental health, is another option for those who are suffering from depression, anxiety and stress due to the overwhelming experiences over the last two years.