Senate Passes Bill Amending FMLA Requirements for Flight Crews

November 12, 2009 — The Senate on Tuesday passed by voice vote a bill (S 1422) that would change the Family and Medical Leave Act to adjust the number of hours flight crews are required to work to qualify for family and medical leave benefits, CQ Today reports. The legislation would state that flight attendants need to log 504 hours in a 12-month period to be eligible for leave. The current law allows employees who have worked 1,250 hours, or a 60% full-time schedule, at a single employer over a 12-month period to receive up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a family member's illness or for the birth or adoption of a child.

According to CQ Today, flight attendants have difficulty qualifying for the current threshold because their work hours are tabulated by gate-to-gate flight time, which does not include time spent on layovers. The flight attendants' union has long lobbied Congress to amend the FMLA requirements.

The bill is nearly identical to a House version (HR 912) that passed by voice vote in February. However, the Senate bill clarifies that the 504-hour requirement would not include time spent on vacation and medical or sick leave. The bill also clarifies that employers would be required to file paperwork with the government specifying the applicable monthly guarantee with respect to each category of employee (Scholtes, CQ Today, 11/10).