This idea will seem a lot less brilliant when the miraculous U.S. job-creation machine runs out of gas, they say. People who are on parental leave are not unemployed. They are not available for work. They are not looking for work. This is not unemployment compensation.
Businesses raise other compelling points.
Some say the FMLA needs fine-tuning before new mandates are added. For example, the definition of illness is so murky that some befuddled employers grant leave for minor ailments. They also fear that the unemployment-insurance scheme lets the camel's nose into the tent. After all, the Labor Dept. says it will carefully evaluate the impact on employers and employees. In states that adopted the plan, benefits would be available to employees of companies of any size.