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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 2601. Findings and purposes
(a) Findings
Congress finds that -
(1) the number of single-parent households and two-parent
households in which the single parent or both parents work is
increasing significantly;
(2) it is important for the development of children and the
family unit that fathers and mothers be able to participate in
early childrearing and the care of family members who have
serious health conditions;
(3) the lack of employment policies to accommodate working
parents can force individuals to choose between job security and
parenting;
(4) there is inadequate job security for employees who have
serious health conditions that prevent them from working for
temporary periods;
(5) due to the nature of the roles of men and women in our
society, the primary responsibility for family caretaking often
falls on women, and such responsibility affects the working lives
of women more than it affects the working lives of men; and
(6) employment standards that apply to one gender only have
serious potential for encouraging employers to discriminate
against employees and applicants for employment who are of that
gender.
(b) Purposes
It is the purpose of this Act -
(1) to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of
families, to promote the stability and economic security of
families, and to promote national interests in preserving family
integrity;
(2) to entitle employees to take reasonable leave for medical
reasons, for the birth or adoption of a child, and for the care
of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition;
(3) to accomplish the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and
(2) in a manner that accommodates the legitimate interests of
employers;
(4) to accomplish the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and
(2) in a manner that, consistent with the Equal Protection Clause
of the Fourteenth Amendment, minimizes the potential for
employment discrimination on the basis of sex by ensuring
generally that leave is available for eligible medical reasons
(including maternity-related disability) and for compelling
family reasons, on a gender-neutral basis; and
(5) to promote the goal of equal employment opportunity for
women and men, pursuant to such clause.
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