FMLA Is Not the Problem—Broken Systems Are
- Glennae Davis
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
FMLA Is Not the Problem—Broken Systems Are
By Glennae Davis, RN | Founder, Glennae’s RX for Life®
Pivot. Profit. Promise.
Nurses put the care back in career™
June 10th 2025
Recently, a nurse manager raised concerns about how FMLA is impacting nurse staffing and productivity, stating that multiple nurses on her team were using their full three-month leave, with some never returning. I understand how that can feel disruptive. But let me be clear: the law is the law, and in these cases, the law is doing exactly what it was created to do—protect workers from becoming collateral damage in toxic, exploitative systems.
Let’s not misplace the blame. It’s not FMLA that’s breaking nurse staffing. It’s the institutional forces—chronic understaffing, discrimination, burnout, moral injury, and lack of leadership accountability—that are causing nurses to physically and psychologically collapse under the pressure. Nurses are not “abusing the law.” They are surviving with it.
When a nurse uses FMLA to care for a parent across the country or to recover from job-related trauma, that’s not abandonment. That’s self-preservation in a system that often values productivity over people. And yes, some nurses take time to explore safer or healthier work environments. That’s called career preservation—and no one should be punished for trying to heal.
What’s often left out of these conversations is that many nurses wait too long to take FMLA—only seeking leave after a misdiagnosis, medication injury, or breakdown. So instead of demonizing those who take their full legal right to recover, we should be asking: Why did it come to that? What was missed?
Here's What I Recommend for Nurses Taking Stress Leave:
Use FMLA Early—Not After You’ve Broken Down Don’t wait until you’re forced out. Take your leave when your health first starts to deteriorate. You don’t owe the system your body, your mind, or your peace.
Document Every Symptom From sleep issues to panic attacks to physical pain, document it all. Your body is giving you data. Use it.
Seek Nurse-Led Support At Glennae’s RX for Life®, we offer structured, tiered recovery through the Be Brave Book Bundle™. Whether you need digital healing prompts or legal language for your leave paperwork, we’ve got you covered—without psychiatric labels, overmedication, or stigma.
Use Your Leave to Build, Not Just Rest This is your time to recover with intention. Explore your options. Understand your rights. Develop a health equity plan for your return. Your leave is not just about rest—it’s about recalibrating your power.
To hospital leaders:FMLA Is Not the Problem—Broken Systems Are. FMLA is not a staffing disruption—it’s a symptom of a larger workforce illness. If 20% of your team is on leave, that’s not employee failure. That’s organizational feedback.
Nurses are not the problem. They are the pulse check.
It’s time we start listening to what their FMLA usage is really telling us.
Pivot. Profit. Promise.
Nurses put the care back in career™
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