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FMLA is for each person but if you are married it covers the spouse so the spouse can take care of the other spouse. FMLA only covers yourself, spouse, parents, and children. If you are single siblings, friends, and other people are not covered by FMLA.
That's federal. But States can, and have, expanded who is covered for FML in that state. For example, NJ also covers caring for a parent-in-law or a civil union partner with a serious medical condition.
It does seem weird to me that siblings are not considered "immediate family members" federally, and even a state like NJ won't cover care for a sibling.
Caring for a friend...well, that's nice & all, but that has no business in a FAMILY medical leave law.
I don't know about insurance but vacations are definitely more expensive. Singles are forced to join group tours if they do not want to do something alone and group tours are very expensive. Group tours always add on a surcharge for a single room as well, called the "single supplement". Usually in the amount of $400 but it could be higher. Married couples don't necessarily bother with group tours. If they are experienced travellers, they can go to Italy on their own. A couple is much safer out and about at night in Rome than a single. Although an experienced single traveller could go alone to places, it isn't necessarily fun or safe, so sometimes the group tour is the only way to go.
Group tours? Give me a break. I have been to other countries alone and had a blast driving around and visiting places myself. If you go to western Europe or Japan, it is just as safe as traveling alone in the U.S.
According to AARP there are about 42 million caregivers in the US. I have many single friends that are caregivers. They are taking care of aging parents and nieces and nephews. Most of them are concerned because there will probably be no one to take care of them. No husband or children and the few laws that protect caregivers only extend to parents, spouse or children. This does not take into account single and childless people. It also does not take into account that most children grow up and take jobs in different cities. Most of our laws assume it is the 1950s where 2 people are married, woman stays at home then kids get married have children and live near parents.
Singles have the absolutely lowest amount of recognition in our society. Now that LGBTs are zooming ahead os us, I'm happy to see that someone stepped in to voice what many of us have already been experiencing for years.
I don't know about insurance but vacations are definitely more expensive. Singles are forced to join group tours if they do not want to do something alone and group tours are very expensive. Group tours always add on a surcharge for a single room as well, called the "single supplement". Usually in the amount of $400 but it could be higher. Married couples don't necessarily bother with group tours. If they are experienced travellers, they can go to Italy on their own. A couple is much safer out and about at night in Rome than a single. Although an experienced single traveller could go alone to places, it isn't necessarily fun or safe, so sometimes the group tour is the only way to go.
Also singles have to cover the entire cost of the car, hotel, and other fees on their own, whereas a married couple has 2 salaries and can split the costs. It might come out of one pot but it's still only 1/2 the cost for each person. Plus one spouse may get little perks from the other spouse. For instance, the spouse might have access to a family vacation home in the mountains or might have siblings with vacation homes in various parts of the country or might have frequent flyer miles to use up. A single person doesn't have access to these "extra" perks that one gets through marriage.
Just about everyone that I work with has access to a vacation home or timeshare through their spouse, so that saves significantly on their vacation expenses.
FMLA being geared towards married people- I think the OP means that FMLA is unpaid so how would a single person take FMLA if it's unpaid? Whereas a married person still has their spouse's income to rely on. Sure, if they relied on 2 incomes, they might miss one income but it would be temporary. They would still have ONE income to rely on. Better than nothing. the single person would have NO income at all.
You have quite the "fill in the blank" mind, here. First of all, married couples "bother" with group tours. There are also lots of single people that go on their own. My mom went on a big group tour to Italy a few years ago. There were 3 married couples, herself and a good friend of her's. I know for a fact that they married couples paid the same for their room as she did. You heard that right. Married couples. Group Tour. Imagine......
Next, where do you get that a married couple has 2 salaries? Vacation home because you're married? What's to say that a single person doesn't have access to a family vacation home, or siblings with vacation homes. Are only married people's families allowed to purchase second homes? Who knew?
I'm not sure what airline you fly, but I'm pretty sure that single people can get frequent flyer miles as well as a married person.
The only people that I personally know that have family vacation homes are single people. And they use them all the time. AND, here's the kicker - neither have siblings, so no pesky "married folk" to butt in on their vacation use.
The only difference I'm seeing between married and single people, after reading this thread, is in the common sense category.
According to AARP there are about 42 million caregivers in the US. I have many single friends that are caregivers. They are taking care of aging parents and nieces and nephews. Most of them are concerned because there will probably be no one to take care of them. No husband or children and the few laws that protect caregivers only extend to parents, spouse or children. This does not take into account single and childless people. It also does not take into account that most children grow up and take jobs in different cities. Most of our laws assume it is the 1950s where 2 people are married, woman stays at home then kids get married have children and live near parents.
I cared for my mother for twenty years, all together, and no one will take care of me. But that's okay, because I don't want to live that long! People who have children so they can take care of them in their old age are, for the most part, in for an unpleasant surprise...
I cared for my mother for twenty years, all together, and no one will take care of me. But that's okay, because I don't want to live that long! People who have children so they can take care of them in their old age are, for the most part, in for an unpleasant surprise...
geeze louise, I don't believe any mother would want that?
I took care of my foster mother and what a chore, I don't regret it at all....however, I surely won't do that to my kids....and if that is the only reason you have kids...(not meaning you personally) that is pretty narrow minded....I worked with a gal who told me her sister said that, How sick is that? To expect your kids to take care of you when your old....I wonder if they took care of anyone in their lives?
Yep. I did feel like I needed a shower by the time I hit 35 and was still single. My towels and sheets were kinda getting thin, and I wanted to celebrate singleness!
As a gay man, I think it's easy to get sex when you are a single gay man than a single straight man.
For an average looking gayman living in a big city, he can easily get laid three times a day. No dinners, movies, praises, holding hands,flirting, flowers. None. Just get laid.
I can enjoy my freedom while getting laid with different guys of different flavors. It's awesome. There is none of those man woman dynamic.
...I don't know about insurance but vacations are definitely more expensive. Singles are forced to join group tours if they do not want to do something alone and group tours are very expensive. Group tours always add on a surcharge for a single room as well, called the "single supplement". Usually in the amount of $400 but it could be higher. Married couples don't necessarily bother with group tours. If they are experienced travellers, they can go to Italy on their own. A couple is much safer out and about at night in Rome than a single. Although an experienced single traveller could go alone to places, it isn't necessarily fun or safe, so sometimes the group tour is the only way to go.
Also singles have to cover the entire cost of the car, hotel, and other fees on their own, whereas a married couple has 2 salaries and can split the costs. It might come out of one pot but it's still only 1/2 the cost for each person. Plus one spouse may get little perks from the other spouse. For instance, the spouse might have access to a family vacation home in the mountains or might have siblings with vacation homes in various parts of the country or might have frequent flyer miles to use up. A single person doesn't have access to these "extra" perks that one gets through marriage.
Just about everyone that I work with has access to a vacation home or timeshare through their spouse, so that saves significantly on their vacation expenses....
That's not discrimination. Believe it or not, married people also vacation alone. I take solitary vacations on a regular basis, and I pay accordingly. You're barking up the wrong tree with this one. Also, married couples are not all dual-income. Our family has been living on a single income for going on eighteen years.
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But that's okay, because I don't want to live that long! 
People who have children so they can take care of them in their old age are, for the most part, in for an unpleasant surprise... 
