Before, there was a barrier between employees and their bosses because people couldn’t take time off to care for their families without the fear of losing their jobs. The Family and Medical Leave Act was passed in 1993 to protect the rights of workers when they need to care for their families, and place the responsibility on employers to ensure that their employees exercise said right. The Family and Medical Leave Act had a strong impact on families because it allows people to not have to worry about losing their jobs or not being able to care for their loved-ones.