Fathers in Arizona and throughout the country may be entitled to FMLA leave to care for a newborn child. They may also have the ability to take leave to care for the mother during and after her pregnancy. However, not everyone has access to either unpaid leave under FMLA or paid leave offered by a state government or an employer. According to the National Compensation Survey, only 14 percent of civilians have access to paid leave.
Most companies that offer paid leave are in the tech sector or in other professions that require employees who are highly educated or have special skills. Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft are companies that are known for their paid family leave packages. It is thought that offering paid family leave may help to reduce the gender pay gap. Sweden offers new parents up to 480 leave days that they can share.
For an employee to be eligible for FMLA leave, he or she would need to work for a covered employer. These employers are private companies that have 50 or more workers. That person would also need to be employed by a company for at least 12 months and worked 1,250 hours during that time.
Typically, employers are not allowed to base employment decisions on the fact that someone has taken FMLA leave. Although it is unpaid leave, employees are generally entitled to their jobs back when they return to their employers. This is true whether the person taking leave is male or female. If an employee’s FMLA rights are violated, he or she may be entitled to compensation or other relief. An attorney may review the case to help obtain a favorable outcome.