ActionSpeak

Happy 20th Anniversary FMLA!

The nation’s first and only law to help workers meet the dual demands of job and family turned 20 this month. The National Partnership drafted and led the fight to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, and we organized celebrations to mark its 20th anniversary. Workers have taken leave under the FMLA more than 100 million times!


No celebration would be complete without cake! From left to right: FMLA champions Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former Rep. Connie Morella, Rep. Rosa DeLauro and former Sen. Chris Dodd.

It was an exciting week of events, with allies and advocates from around the country joining in and supporting our call to lawmakers to take the next step in making our nation more family friendly. Check out our Facebook album for photos from the celebrations.

New and Noteworthy

“Every time [the FMLA] is used, there is a story… Thanks to the National Partnership for Women & Families… and all the people that are here. I am very grateful to you.... Never underestimate the power of these family issues. People desperately want to have successful families, to be good parents, and to have a job and succeed at it. If you take one away to get the other, the country pays a grievous price and every life is diminished. I’ve had more people mention the family leave law to me — both while I was in the White House and in the 12 years since I’ve been gone — than any other single piece of legislation I’ve signed…. I would urge you to use this 20th anniversary to think about all the things that ought to be changed. We could have insurance programs as California and New Jersey do. We could have the ability to earn more sick time as Connecticut does and several of our cities do…. We all need to stay humble, and we’ve got to stay at it. So, this is a happy day for me… one moment of triumph that should basically energize us to give everybody else the story they deserve too.”
— President Bill Clinton, Department of Labor FMLA Celebration, 2/5/13

Learn More: Take a look at our new FMLA resources.

Take Action: The FMLA was always meant to be a first step toward a family friendly America. Tell Congress it’s time to take the next one by advancing a national paid leave program.