Families of Wounded Vets to Get More Relief
Congress and the Obama administration take steps to help returning veterans.

Just in time for Veterans Day, Congress has made it easier for families of returning soldiers to care for them.
The help comes in the form of a significant expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act. The military caregiver provisions of the FMLA already allow relatives to take 26 weeks of leave -- instead of the usual 12 weeks -- to care for a member of the military, National Guard or Reserve who is recovering from a serious injury or illness that was incurred in the line of duty. Now the right to take extended leave will be available for up to five years after a veteran leaves the service if he or she develops a service related injury or illness. This expansion, which was contained in the 2010 defense authorization bill signed by President Obama on Oct. 28, was deemed necessary because some problems, such as traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder, may not manifest themselves until after a service member has left the military. The provision will not be effective until the secretary of labor issues guidance.
“Exigency leave” is also expanded by the law to include all active duty members deployed to a foreign country, not just those in the Guard and Reserve. This provision allows the spouse, child or parent of a person about to be deployed to take up to 12 weeks of leave to manage family or personal affairs while the service member is away. The Department of Labor defines an exigency to include things such as preparing for a short-notice deployment, arranging for child care, making or updating financial or legal arrangements, attending counseling and resting and recuperating. This provision is effective immediately.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The federal government is also moving to ensure that returning veterans don’t get shortchanged at work. The Justice Department is beefing up its enforcement of USERRA, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The law requires employers to give National Guard and reservists their old jobs back, or comparable ones, when they return from active duty. Justice has filed 19 lawsuits so far this year. Employers that violate USERRA may be required to pay lost wages, the service member’s litigation costs and damages if the violation was willful.
For weekly updates on topics to improve your business decisionmaking, click here.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
46 Anti-Prime Day Tech Deals You Should Get from Best Buy's Black Friday in July Sale Instead
Apple, Blink, Garmin, Samsung and more leading tech brands are on sale at Best Buy's rival Prime Day sale this week.
-
Stock Market Today: Trump Reextends His Tariff Deadline
When it comes to this president, his trade war, the economy, financial markets and uncertainty, "known unknowns" are better than "unknown unknowns."
-
AI’s Rapid Rise Sparks New Cyber Threats
The Kiplinger Letter Cybersecurity professionals are racing to ward off AI threats while also using AI tools to shore up defenses.
-
Blue Collar Workers Add AI to Their Toolboxes
The Kiplinger Letter AI can’t fix a leak or install lighting, but more and more tradespeople are adopting artificial intelligence for back-office work and other tasks.
-
AI Goes To School
The Kiplinger Letter Artificial intelligence is rapidly heading to K-12 classrooms nationwide. Expect tech companies to cash in on the fast-emerging trend.
-
The New AI Agents Will Tackle Your To-Do List
The Kiplinger Letter Autonomous AI agents “see” your computer screen, then complete a task, from buying a concert ticket to organizing email. This opens up a world of possibilities.
-
AI’s Medical Revolution
The Kiplinger Letter Medicine is a field ripe for finding both exciting and practical uses for AI. The tech is already being used by doctors and researchers.
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade War
The Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
AI Heads to Washington
The Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze MRIs and other medical images. But also big challenges that clinicians and companies will have to overcome.
-
The AI Doctor Coming to Read Your Test Results
The Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze CAT scans, MRIs and other medical images. But there are also big challenges that human clinicians and tech companies will have to overcome.