§2601. Findings and purposes

(a) Findings

Congress finds that—

(1) the number of single-parent households and two-parent households in which the single parent or both parents work is increasing significantly;

(2) it is important for the development of children and the family unit that fathers and mothers be able to participate in early childrearing and the care of family members who have serious health conditions;

(3) the lack of employment policies to accommodate working parents can force individuals to choose between job security and parenting;

(4) there is inadequate job security for employees who have serious health conditions that prevent them from working for temporary periods;

(5) due to the nature of the roles of men and women in our society, the primary responsibility for family caretaking often falls on women, and such responsibility affects the working lives of women more than it affects the working lives of men; and

(6) employment standards that apply to one gender only have serious potential for encouraging employers to discriminate against employees and applicants for employment who are of that gender.

(b) Purposes

It is the purpose of this Act—

(1) to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families, to promote the stability and economic security of families, and to promote national interests in preserving family integrity;

(2) to entitle employees to take reasonable leave for medical reasons, for the birth or adoption of a child, and for the care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition;

(3) to accomplish the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and (2) in a manner that accommodates the legitimate interests of employers;

(4) to accomplish the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and (2) in a manner that, consistent with the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, minimizes the potential for employment discrimination on the basis of sex by ensuring generally that leave is available for eligible medical reasons (including maternity-related disability) and for compelling family reasons, on a gender-neutral basis; and

(5) to promote the goal of equal employment opportunity for women and men, pursuant to such clause.

(Pub. L. 103–3, §2, Feb. 5, 1993, 107 Stat. 6.)

References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 103–3, Feb. 5, 1993, 107 Stat. 6, known as the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which enacted this chapter, sections 60m and 60n of Title 2, The Congress, and sections 6381 to 6387 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, amended section 2105 of Title 5, and enacted provisions set out as notes below. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 103–3, title IV, §405, Feb. 5, 1993, 107 Stat. 26, provided that:

"(a) Title III.—Title III [enacting subchapter II of this chapter] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Feb. 5, 1993].

"(b) Other Titles.—

"(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), titles I, II, and V and this title [enacting subchapters I and III of this chapter, sections 60m and 60n of Title 2, The Congress, and sections 6381 to 6387 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and amending section 2105 of Title 5] shall take effect 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

"(2) Collective bargaining agreements.—In the case of a collective bargaining agreement in effect on the effective date prescribed by paragraph (1), title I [enacting subchapter I of this chapter] shall apply on the earlier of—

"(A) the date of the termination of such agreement; or

"(B) the date that occurs 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act."

Short Title of 2009 Amendment

Pub. L. 111–119, §1, Dec. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 3476, provided that: "This Act [amending sections 2611 and 2612 of this title] may be cited as the 'Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act'."

Short Title

Pub. L. 103–3, §1(a), Feb. 5, 1993, 107 Stat. 6, provided that: "This Act [enacting this chapter, sections 60m and 60n of Title 2, The Congress, and sections 6381 to 6387 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, amending section 2105 of Title 5, and enacting provisions set out above] may be cited as the 'Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993'."