    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [May 1, 1996]
    [Page 675]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Family and Medical Leave Act
    May 1, 1996

        Three years ago, I worked with the Congress to pass the Family and
    Medical Leave Act so that we could help Americans balance their work and
    family responsibilities. Americans should not have to choose between
    their job and caring for a sick child or parent. We said we could do
    that without hurting businesses, and we were right. Today, a bipartisan
    commission that studied the act announced its conclusion that this new
    law has significantly helped working Americans while placing only
    minimal requirements on their employers.
        The commission found that because we have a Family and Medical Leave
    Act, fewer workers will have to choose between their jobs and their
    loved ones if a child or elderly parent should need care. That's
    tremendously important in an era when most households are headed by two
    working parents or by single mothers.
        And as we predicted at the time we fought for this legislation,
    businesses are finding that the new law is easy to administer and costs
    are nonexistent or small. The majority of leaves are short in duration,
    and most workers return to their jobs. In fact, some businesses
    testified to the commission that the new law has helped them reduce
    employee turnover, enhance productivity, and improve the morale of their
    workforce.
        The Family and Medical Leave Act has brought many Americans a
    benefit that was once afforded only to a fortunate few--the knowledge
    that they can return to their jobs and keep their health benefits if
    they need unpaid time off to meet medical or family needs. Thanks to the
    work of this bipartisan commission, we now have further proof of what I
    have always known: the Family and Medical Leave Act was, and is, the
    right thing to do for America's working families.