President Signed FMLA Expansion Bill Yesterday

Yesterday, President Bush signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 4986), which includes two provisions that expand the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to assist service members and their families.

The military family leave provisions included in H.R. 4986 is the first expansion of the FMLA since the law was first enacted in 1993.

Read our FMLA FAQ to learn more about how these changes could affect you.

President Signed FMLA Expansion Bill Yesterday

Check out TrainingTime.com!

For 20 years, we have provided businesses like yours with practical tools to help meet your HR and employee management needs. But, we realize that G.Neil may not always have the perfect product that solves your specific need - in which case, we'd still like to help out by letting you know about other valuable resources to find your solutions.

Training and development has been repeatedly identified as one of your biggest challenges, largely due to the time it takes to do it effectively. Feedback from people like you is the driving force behind the launch of TrainingTime.com.

We introduced you to the catalog and now we'd like to introduce you to the new shopping portal. In partnership with G.Neil, TrainingTime.com was created to bring buyers and sellers together to help you find, compare and select the right training solutions for your business — without all the clutter of the general search engines.

Whether your company is a local mini-mart or a global corporation, TrainingTime.com makes it easier to find your training solutions...and lose the excuses that hold you back from keeping your employees skilled, well-informed and productive.

Whereas before, a business owner or supervisor would have to search a variety of different sources to find the right training tool, TrainingTime.com offers a one-stop source for everything you need. Multiple providers offer their products and services on both the site, so all you have to do is click their links to get what you need, directly from them.

The site covers the full range of timely topics in today’s training world, new technologies, ideas and information, tips and tools. You'll find products, seminars, industry events, custom providers, articles and whitepapers, and more.

Vendors, consultants and other unaffiliated companies can call 888-883-0988 or visit TrainingTime.com to learn more about featuring their business on the site, and start promoting their products and services.

Ongoing site enhancements based on user feedback are anticipated throughout 2008, as well as a more comprehensive catalog. The goal is to ensure TrainingTime.com provides a valuable experience for all those tasked with business training and development, regardless of their current expertise.

Check out TrainingTime.com!

FMLA for Military Families Passes Congress

As expected, the Senate moved quickly on January 22, 2008 to approve a bill with provisions to expand the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to include family members of U.S. soldiers.

The proposed expansion of the FMLA would allow eligible employees to use leave when an immediate family member is called for active duty in the military or is injured in the line duty.

The legislation now moves on to the White House, where officials have indicated that President Bush will sign the bill into law quickly. Specifically, the new legislation will require businesses to offer up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to employees who are providing care to U.S. soldiers wounded in the line of duty. The measure also will require employers to provide 12 weeks of FMLA leave to the immediate family members (spouses, children or parents) of military personnel and reservists who have a "qualifying exigency." The Department of Labor will define "qualifying exigency."

The military family leave provisions included in the bill will be the first expansion of the FMLA since the law was first enacted in 1993.

FMLA for Military Families Passes Congress