Bill would guarantee leave for military families

Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) has introduced legislation to guarantee workers time off from work to spend time with a family member who will be deployed.

Under Cartwright’s bill, immediate family members of military personnel who have impending active-duty deployment would be able to take two weeks of unpaid leave.

{mosads}The Family and Medical Leave Act currently allows parents, children and spouses of military service members to take 12 weeks of leave. But it does not apply to part-time workers and people who work at companies with fewer than 50 employees. 

“After receiving news of impending active duty, time with a loved one is short and precious,” Cartwright said in a statement. “These benefits should not be determined by the size of an employer, and this bill ensures all service families, regardless of employment status, receive the benefits they deserve.”

Cartwright previously introduced the bill in the last session of Congress, but it never gained any traction.