April
14, 1997 April
14, 1997
MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
FROM:
JAMES
B. KING
DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: EXPANDED FAMILY AND
MEDICAL LEAVE POLICIES
President Clinton has signed a
memorandum to heads of departments and agencies requesting
that you take immediate action to ensure that employees may
schedule and take up to 24 hours of leave without pay each year
for participation in school activities, routine family medical
appointments, and elderly relatives' health needs. In addition,
the President asks that you support employees' requests to
schedule paid leave or time off, such as annual leave, sick
leave, compensatory time off, and credit hours under flexible
work schedules for these family activities when such paid time
off is available to the employee.
Last year, the President proposed to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to
allow Federal and eligible private sector workers to take 24
hours of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to participate
in school activities directly related to the educational
advancement of a child, including early childhood education
activities; accompany children to routine medical and dental
examinations; and tend to the needs of older relatives. The
proposed legislation builds upon our Government's ongoing efforts
to create a family friendly work environment.
As you know, the Federal Government has an impressive array of
family friendly leave flexibilities, including annual leave; sick
leave; the Family
and Medical Leave Act of 1993; the Federal Employees Family
Friendly Leave Act that currently permits the use of sick leave
for family care, including routine medical and dental
appointments; sick leave for adoption; leave transfer and leave
bank programs; leave for bone marrow and organ donation;
compensatory time off; alternative work schedules and credit
hours; and leave without pay. These flexibilities are of great
importance to employees and clearly enhance the commitment and
productivity of the workforce. Although we have made great
progress in achieving our goal of a family friendly work
environment, more is needed. In his memorandum, the President
asks agencies to support and encourage Federal workers in
balancing the demands of work and family and to apply existing
statutory authorities to ensure a family friendly workplace.
In accordance with the President's request, please analyze your
existing department or agency family friendly policies and make
appropriate revisions to ensure that they incorporate positive
language to support the scheduling and granting of up to 24 hours
of leave without pay each year for participation in school
activities, routine family medical appointments, and elderly
relatives' health or care needs.
I urge you to review how effective you have been in documenting
and communicating your family friendly leave policies to all
employees, supervisors, and managers. As you proceed, I also add
my full support to the President's encouragement for you to
implement his requests through the use of a partnership approach.
Questions may be referred to the Office of Personnel Management's
Office of Compensation Policy on (202) 606-2858 or by FAX on
(202) 606-0824 or email at payleave@opm.gov.