Latest news with #FamilyandMedicalLeaveAct
Newsweek
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Paid Sick Leave Repealed for Millions in Missouri
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed the repeal of a law on Thursday that guaranteed paid sick leave to workers, just months after voters approved it. Why It Matters The move is a major victory for Missouri's largest business group and a frustrating defeat for workers' rights advocates, who had spent years—and millions of dollars—building support for the successful ballot measure that established mandatory paid sick leave for Missouri workers. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address on January 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address on January 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo What To Know The change that voters approved in November, with almost 58 percent of the vote, established mandatory paid sick leave for Missouri workers and called for raising the state's minimum hourly wage to $15 in 2026. But Republicans who control the Missouri Legislature approved a bill that limited the minimum wage increase and scrapped the paid sick leave requirement. After signing the repeal, Kehoe, a Republican, described the paid sick leave law as an onerous mandate that imposed burdensome record-keeping. Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs With Justice who sponsored the ballot initiative, said many parents felt forced to go to work, instead of staying home to care for a sick child, in order to pay for their rent or utilities. He said Kehoe signing the repeal is "an absolute betrayal." There is no federal law requiring paid leave, and the Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees only unpaid time off. However, more states are passing or considering laws that require employers to offer paid leave. As well as in Missouri, voters in Nebraska and Alaska approved paid sick leave measures in November last year. Only Alaska's has remained unchanged by state lawmakers. What People Are Saying Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, in a statement on Thursday: "Today, we are protecting the people who make Missouri work—families, job creators, and small business owners—by cutting taxes, rolling back overreach, and eliminating costly mandates." Richard von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs With Justice, told the Associated Press: "The governor signing this bill is an absolute betrayal to those families, and it hurts my heart." Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement on Thursday: "Business owners were clear: Proposition A's paid leave and minimum wage policies were a job killer. "Missouri employers value their employees and recognize the importance of offering competitive wages and benefits, but one-size-fits-all mandates threaten growth. We thank Gov. Kehoe for signing this legislation that safeguards jobs and supports Missouri's overall economic competitiveness." What Happens Next The repeal will take effect on August 28. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Newsweek
11-07-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
American Mom Moves In With Mexican MIL Postpartum, Has 'Eye-Opening' Moment
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new mom from Chicago is going viral for opening up about the difference between American and Mexican postpartum cultures. Hannah Leon, who lives in a Mexican household as an American, (@hannahmaeleon) posted a clip on TikTok on the subject and explained the "noticeable" contrasts between the two cultures. "I love my mom, but the ways that my mom has shown up for me in early postpartum versus my husband's mom has been night and day," Leon said in her video. "My own mother went back to work just two days after having me, so that shaped my expectations," the 30-year-old told Newsweek. "While it's possible to break those cycles, most people show up the way they were taught." From left: Hannah Leon holds her baby in a carrier on her front while talking to camera for her TikTok video. From left: Hannah Leon holds her baby in a carrier on her front while talking to camera for her TikTok video. @hannahmaeleon For instance, Leon's mother helped with a grocery trip while she was still in the hospital, but she had already left town by the time Hannah and her husband brought their baby home. Her husband's mother-in-law, on the other hand, invited the couple to move in with her. "It was really important for me to have a seasoned mom telling me what's normal and what's not, cooking healthy meals, helping me maintain my mental health," Leon said, adding that she suffered from postpartum depression and her support was vital. "I was treated like glass those first 40 days—encouraged, even demanded, to stay in bed and stay inside," Leon said. "Even when I felt up for a walk, I was advised to rest." The idea of 40 days of postpartum rest—known as la cuarentena in many Latin cultures—is a deeply rooted tradition in Mexican households. The belief is that the first 40 days after birth are sacred for healing and bonding. Mothers are encouraged, even expected, to stay inside, rest and be cared for. "It was such a foreign concept to me, but I'm deeply grateful for that wisdom because I truly believe I healed so well because of that care," Leon added. The level of care she received from her mother-in-law made Leon think about U.S. laws around maternity leave. The U.S. is one of the only high-income countries that does not guarantee paid maternity leave at the federal level. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible workers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, but many parents can't afford to take that time without pay—and many aren't eligible at all. "It's inspired me to not accept bare minimum and that we go above for those we love," Leon said. "I just dropped frozen meals at my husband's cousin's house, who's due soon. It's really made me reassess how I was raised and how I want to show up for others." Leon's clip has been viewed over 2.3 million times, and many users celebrated the postpartum Mexican culture within the comments. "I'm so glad you've had the chance to experience our culture and I'm not at all surprised your mother-in-law was so loving. She's the embodiment of Mexican Love," one user wrote. "Cuarentena is so important for mom and baby. [They] need rest and deserve to be given the space and care to heal and bond. Giving birth is no joke, don't know how some people take it so lightly," another posted. For friends, new moms or family members looking for ways to help someone during the postpartum period, Leon said they should just step in. "Bring a meal; help with cleaning; sit and hold the baby if needed while they shower [or have some alone time," Leon added. "It's so important to simply show up. A healthy mom is a healthy baby, and taking things off her plate allows her to adjust and heal."
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Can an employee contribute to an FSA while on an unpaid leave of absence? Ask HR.
Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader's Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.' Question: I'm considering taking an unpaid leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). During my hiatus, can I continue contributing to my FSA (Flexible Spending Account) even if my employer isn't paying me? – Nisha Answer: Taking unpaid leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act is a significant decision prioritizing your health and family needs. It's commendable that you're considering how this will impact your Flexible Spending Account, as it demonstrates foresight and prudence. Here's how you can manage and potentially continue contributing to your FSA during your leave. Under the provisions of the FMLA, you retain the right to maintain your contributions to your dependent care FSA while on leave. The IRS guidelines offer a few options to manage these contributions: Additionally, you have the flexibility to adjust your FSA election under a cafeteria plan if your circumstances change, similar to those taking non-FMLA leave. Should it become necessary to cease your contributions temporarily, you would be permitted to reenroll upon your return. This extensive list of options ensures your absence doesn't hinder your ability to accrue and use your FSA benefits, reflecting a broader understanding of how adaptable life situations and financial planning must be. It's crucial to consult with your HR department to understand specifically how these options are implemented within your organization. Each employer may have different procedures based on their plan guidelines. Remember, the FMLA and IRS guidelines were designed with your well-being in mind, supporting you during times when work needs to take a backseat to personal health and family responsibilities. Consider this a proactive step in maintaining your overall life balance and ensuring financial wellness during your leave. I work in our product development group, and our account management team has recently approached me about transitioning to an account executive role. Working as a design specialist for almost a decade, I have a deep understanding of our client's business. I also have expert knowledge of our deliverables and capabilities as a vendor. What should I consider when exploring a significant career shift like this? Should I be concerned that I'll lose expertise? ‒ Lori Embarking on a career shift is an exciting opportunity to broaden your horizons and add new dimensions to your professional portfolio. As someone with a solid background in product development and design, transitioning into an account executive role could be a natural progression that leverages your existing expertise while allowing you to develop new skills. First and foremost, it's important to recognize that your experience as a design specialist provides a strong foundation for your new role as an account executive. Your deep understanding of client businesses and thorough knowledge of deliverables and capabilities put you in a unique position to seamlessly bridge the gap between design and account management. Rather than seeing this transition as leaving your expertise behind, view it as expanding your toolkit. You'll be enhancing your ability to communicate the value of your company's products and services from a more strategic and business-oriented perspective. In considering this transition, evaluate how the skills you've acquired in product development can be applied to account management. As an account executive, you'll be responsible for building and maintaining strong client relationships, understanding their needs, and providing solutions that align with their business objectives. Your background equips you well for this, as you likely already possess strong communication skills, the ability to empathize with clients, and an in-depth understanding of how your products meet their needs. Further, consider how the account executive role can enrich your career. It can provide you with a broader perspective of the business landscape and offer insights into strategic decision-making, negotiation, and leadership. Developing these skills can position you for future roles requiring a mix of technical prowess and business acumen, thereby expanding your career trajectory and potential opportunities. While it's natural to worry about losing touch with your design expertise, keep in mind that skills are not just retained but can be adapted and applied in new ways. Stay engaged with your design passion through side projects, professional development, or cross-functional tasks, ensuring your skills remain sharp and relevant. This dual expertise not only enhances your current role but also increases your value to any organization. Moreover, as an account executive, you'll have a platform to influence the direction of product offerings based on client feedback, thereby indirectly shaping design and development processes. Your intimate knowledge of design nuances can be a critical asset in delivering tailored client solutions and driving innovation. Ultimately, approaching this career shift as a chance to diversify your skill set and explore new avenues of professional growth can be incredibly rewarding. Embrace the challenge and use your existing strengths while being open to learning and adapting. The account executive role can be a complementary addition to your career, enriching your professional life and opening doors to new opportunities while leveraging the skills and expertise you've cultivated over the years. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Costco worker who took leave to care for wife with cancer may proceed with disability bias claim
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. A former Costco hourly sales employee may proceed with his lawsuit alleging that the retailer violated California's Fair Employment and Housing Act when it failed to accommodate his need to care for his wife, who had cancer, a federal judge held June 5. The plaintiff in Head v. Costco Wholesale Corp. took 'continuous leave' between March 2021 and June 2022 to care for his wife as well as his own medical condition. He exhausted all leave available under the Family and Medical Leave Act, California's Family Rights Act and Costco's own leave policies. He then asked that his leave be further extended to continue care for his wife, but Costco denied the request and ordered him to return to work in July 2022. The plaintiff ultimately resigned rather than return on the specified date. He sought reinstatement after his wife died but was denied. He filed several claims against Costco but, in a split verdict, the court held that only some of his claims could survive summary judgment, including failure to accommodate, failure to engage in the interactive process, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The case highlights the complexities involved when state and federal leave laws intersect with an employer's own leave policies. Per the court, Costco's employee agreement with the plaintiff specified that the maximum continuous total amount of leave an employee may take — inclusive of both federal- and state-mandated leave, as well as Costco's own personal medical leave policy — is 12 months, except as required by law. The plaintiff's first block of continuous leave began in March 2021 and ended June 2021, when he took FMLA and CFRA leave to care for his wife and exhausted his leave allotment under both laws in the process. He then took approved personal medical leave to care for his own health condition from June 2021 to February 2022. Costco reached out to the plaintiff in February to inform him that his leave of absence was set to expire after one year. Per the court, the plaintiff responded by requesting an extension of his return date to February 2023 so that he could take care of his wife. Costco informed the plaintiff that he was not eligible for additional leave because he had not worked the requisite number of hours in the previous year to qualify for additional leave under either the FMLA or CFRA. The plaintiff ultimately sued, alleging in part that Costco violated FEHA by discriminating against him based on his association with a person who had a disability, his wife. The court found that no reasonable jury could find that a discriminatory animus motivated Costco's termination decision nor its failure to rehire the employee. But it also determined that a jury could find the employee had proposed a reasonable accommodation by offering a return date from leave. A genuine dispute of material fact existed, the court added, regarding whether Costco failed to engage in a good faith interactive process with the plaintiff as required under FEHA. Similarly, the court pointed to language in communications from Costco staff to the employee that suggested the company was willing to engage in an interactive process with him if he had been asking for leave for his own health condition but not if he had done so for his wife's condition. 'To be sure, the Court acknowledges that, overall, Costco extended family leave to [the plaintiff] (and for his wife) for periods of time that exceeded the FMLA/CFRA and Costco's policy, and thus Costco may assert it engaged in a good faith interactive process,' the court said. 'But this is an issue for the jury.' Leave extension requests historically present thorny issues for employers, and the manner in which courts weigh on such decisions may be fact-specific. For example, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held in 2020 that an employee's request for a four-week extension of a 16-week medical leave was not unreasonable within the definition of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Meanwhile, the 5th Circuit held in 2021 that an employee who exhausted FMLA leave and did not provide a return date was not entitled to additional leave under the ADA. Recommended Reading Movie theater chain settles lawsuit alleging it halted workers' health insurance at age 65
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Real Brokerage CFO alleges pregnancy discrimination in suit
This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. The former finance chief of Miami-based Real Brokerage alleges she was discriminated against based on her gender and pregnancy status, and ultimately fired to 'clear the way for her less qualified and unencumbered male successor,' according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Tuesday. Michelle Ressler disclosed her pregnancy to her former employer in January 2024, and was fired for cause and 'pretextual' reasons in April, the filing states. While Real Brokerage said an internal audit had revealed Ressler had improperly charged eight personal expenses totaling $17,440 to a company bank card, the suit asserts that $15,946 of those charges, which were related to airfare, were an 'oversight' that she offered to repay, and that $1,493 in entertainment expenses were business-related. The suit also states that charges were not the reason for her firing. Instead, she asserted the company 'needed to manufacture a reason that it could spin as misconduct and, relatedly, sell to the board to mask the company's discriminatory and retaliatory decision to remove its high-performing CFO.' Real Brokerage declined to comment. On April 24, one day after the suit asserts Ressler was terminated, the online real estate brokerage tapped Ravi Jani to become its CFO, effective immediately. Jani, who joined the company as vice president of investor relations and FP&A in 2023, previously held investment analyst roles at the hedge fund Citadel and began his career in investment banking at Bank of America and Moelis and Company, the release states. Within weeks of disclosing Ressler was pregnant, the suit alleges the company reassigned her core business units to other staff who 'did not have babies,' suggested she could not be an effective CFO and a mother and waged a 'steady campaign to sideline her and ultimately oust her.' Ressler, 40, is a first-time mother who arrived at the company in 2020 when it had just $16 million in annual revenue, with the suit asserting she helped scale the company and its annual revenue to over $1.3 billion in annual revenue. 'Under her leadership, in less than five years, the Company grew from a fledgling startup to a major player in the real estate technology sector,' the suit states. But, 'rather than reward Ms. Ressler for her unwavering dedication and hard work, defendants decided to get rid of her because she started a family and dared to challenge the company's questionable and potentially unlawful conduct.' Ressler is seeking relief that includes a declaration that the acts and practices violate the Family and Medical Leave Act as well as back pay and compensation for future lost wages and benefits. Recommended Reading Gain biotech CFO aims past burn to budget for growth Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
