Three Republican legislators introduced a bill Thursday in an attempt to simplify Wisconsin laws on family and medical leave, according to a press release from the Legislature.
State Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Reps. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, and Mike Rohrkaste, R-Neenah, introduced the bill to clear up the distinctions between state law and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. The sponsors identified confusions among businesses as the primary impetus for the bill.
In the bill, anyone covered under FMLA is excluded from state medical leave laws.
“As a former Human Resources executive, I have seen firsthand how Wisconsin’s family and medical leave laws and the federal FMLA together create an unnecessary regulatory burden for employers across our state. This legislation will ensure that Wisconsin employees are protected, while also simplifying an overly complex system for local employers,” Rohrkaste said in the release.