title: Utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act in Radiology Practices According to the 2016 ACR Commission on Human Resources Workforce Survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess gender utilization of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in radiology practices across the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Practice of Radiology Environment Database was utilized to identify U.S. practice leaders, who were asked to complete an electronic survey developed by the ACR Human Resources (HR) Commission. In 2016, new survey questions asked about number of radiologists in each practice who took FMLA, the reasons why, the average number of weeks taken, and how such absences were covered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two percent (579/1815) of practice group leaders responded to the survey and of these, 73% (432/579) answered FMLA questions, with 15% of those (64/432) answering affirmatively that a radiologist in their practice had taken FMLA leave. Reasons for this in 2015 included to care for a newborn/adopted child (49%), because of a personal serious health condition (42%), to care for an immediate family member (8%), or for active military duty (1%). Women took a greater number of weeks of FMLA leave than men for all reasons (care of newborn/adopted child: 10.7 versus 4.7; personal serious health condition: 10.3 versus 8.0; care of immediate family member: 9.7 versus 8.7) except for military duty (24 weeks taken, all by men). At least 69% of leave time was paid, irrespective of reason for leave or gender of person taking it. Most practices (82%) made no workforce changes to cover FMLA leave.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both genders of radiologists needed absences from work for FMLA-sanctioned reasons.
authors.affiliation: New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Imaging, New York, New York. Electronic address: ela9033@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Kagan
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Arleo
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Jay R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.affiliation: American Institute for Radiologic Pathology, Silver Spring, Maryland.
authors.forename: Darcy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolfman
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Maricopa Integrated Health System and District Medical Group, Phoenix, Arizona.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gridley
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bluth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017407:Family Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000072177:Radiologists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011871:Radiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: ACR Human Resources Commission; Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); caregiver leave; parental leave; personal serious health condition