ABSTRACT
The FMLA, which went into effect on August 5, 1993, stipulated that an evaluation of the law’s impact be completed by a bipartisan commission within three years of its implementation. The Commission on Leave, which formed in November 1993, was chaired by Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), the bill’s key sponsor in the Senate, and co-chaired by Donna Lenhoff, one of the original architects of the law. It included congressional leaders from both parties, important lobbyists representing various viewpoints on the issue, and key cabinet members whose purview covered family and medical leave issues. The Commission’s primary charge was to determine the new law’s impact on costs, benefits, and productivity. In short, was the FMLA working as expected and who was it helping or hurting?
