FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 4, 1997

CONTACT: Bruce Milhans (202) 606-1800 bjmilhan@opm.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- August commemorates another milestone in the reinvention of government effort -- the fourth anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), the first bill President Clinton signed into law after taking office.

While the downsizing of government attracts the most attention, the many Clinton Administration initiatives that accompany that shrinking which are turning the federal government into a much better instrument of public service receive less attention, said Office of Personnel Management Director Jim King. The Family and Medical Leave Act is another tool to build the government of the future; one that is not only smaller, but more oriented to customer service, more market-driven, and more family friendly. Giving federal employees more control over their lives helps break the bureaucratic stranglehold and leads to the more flexible, responsive and efficient government Americans deserve.

King said he believes the FMLA has made a major difference in the ability of federal employees to deal with serious medical conditions and balance the demands of work and family.

The FMLA is one of several innovations adopted in recent years to help the federal government create a more family friendly and productive workplace culture. Others include flexible work schedules and locations (flexiplace); part-time employment and job sharing programs; a leave sharing program; and authorized use of paid sick leave for adoption, family care, and bereavement purposes.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, a federal employee is entitled to a total of 12 administrative workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for: (a) the birth of a child and care of the newborn; (b) adoption or foster care of a child; (c) the care of a spouse, son, daughter, or parent with a serious health condition; and (d) a serious health condition of the employee that makes the employee unable to perform his or her duties.

Tuesday, August 5, marks the fourth anniversary of the effective date of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. The FMLA was signed into law by President Clinton on February 5, 1993, and became effective 6 months later.

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