Research & Writing
The changes in the society and the role of parents have created a number of challenges for parents. Parents are rarely in the position to stay at home and care for their children because of the changes in the economic structure of the country. More often, single parent family do not allow for parents to stay at home and this leaves the parents with the problem of having to try to balance work and taking care of the family especially when illness and new birth occurs in the family. While employers offer medical and family leave under the state’s legislation policy to employees, the amount of time is not enough to allow families to recuperate fully after illness, childbirth or caring for those who are sick in the family. Therefore, the Family and Medical needs to be revised to accommodate parents who need additionally time to care for self and family and still be paid.
The Family and Medical Act currently caters to persons who can afford additional help in the homes when they have to return to work within three months of childbirth, intense illnesses of self and families. For this period, the employees are not paid while attending to the particular medical condition. The problem however is that some employers are not understanding of the fact that some persons may require extended periods of time to recover. These employees need additional time but cannot afford to stay at home without pay. This action can lead to additional medical challenges and more severe illnesses
In addition, the increase in the number of single mothers does not allow for parents to stay at home for more than the specified time under the law as this can result in loss of jobs and loss of income. The economic crisis in the world places a strain on every country and therefore it is difficult to get jobs. Persons who have jobs will not want to lose these jobs, but at the same time the physical illnesses compounded with the mental and emotional distress of any impending jobs lose complicates the situation and employers will have to contend with unfit workers who may just collapse on the job. Therefore, changes in the Family and Medical Act will allow for the holistic healing of employees and more effective production on the job.
