Over at Forbes, Susan Adams notes that Steven Colbert took family medical leave to be with his mother, and asks: Does Law Protect Your Right to Do the Same?

While the unpaid Family Medical Leave Act is federal law, it covers only firms with 50 or more employees. and contains other restrictions. Writes Adams:

Employees who need to take sudden leave to care for a loved one often try to  use accrued vacation days or sick days. Ellen Bravo, Executive Director of  Family Values @ Work, a network of 16 state coalitions that support family-friendly policies, says many workers don’t realize that federal law does  not mandate that employers provide either vacation time or sick days. Also, many employers who provide those benefits, require advance notice, and don’t allow workers to take sick days to care for family members.
A few states, like California and Minnesota, also have flexible care laws, which require employers who offer paid sick days to allow workers to use the time to care for family members.
Bravo’s group hopes more states pass such laws. In New York City, where Colbert lives, a paid sick day law is pending and statewide, there is a bill that would  provide family leave insurance, similar to California’s and New Jersey’s. “Our  goal is to have many more men do what Stephen Colbert is doing, and be present  for a parent,” says Bravo. “Many men would be better fathers, sons and husbands  if they weren’t punished for it on the job.”

Read the full article here.