FAMILY LEAVE ACT KICKS IN

On Aug. 5, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 began requiring employers with 50 or more employees to allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year for childbirth, adoption, to care for family members with health problems, or when a condition makes the employee unable to work.

The law also requires employers to continue health insurance coverage for these employees, according to Towers Perrin, a business consulting firm. The firm conducted a study which found that 69 percent of medium-sized and large firms already offer employees either paid or unpaid leave.