Been around for quite sometime due to the very real risk of contracting diseases due to blood-borne pathogens the law was put in place to ensure safety of medical personnel who are exposed to such implements. Syringes and other medical instruments that have come in contact with or are used to extract blood and other bodily fluids used to be dumped into garbage bins that have been known to spread diseases and cause epidemics.
Even as recent as a few months ago certain medical facilities were found to have practiced needle sharing and use that caused the infection of patients with the hepatitis virus which heightens the need for such laws and the observance thereof. People who work in medical facilities are to receive training on the use, disposal and handling of such materials to prevent the spread of disease as stated by the law. Medical professionals are some of the most likely to acquire infections from such medical implements due to their close use and proximity to such materials. Safety is the key and knowledge makes the workplace safer for all.

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Maternity leave or what is now called parental leave, is the time a mother or the father, takes off from work for the birth of a child. Actual paid maternity leave, while the norm in every other developed country, is not like in the United States. Though some companies offer their employees, a paid time off, ranging from one to six weeks. In some cases, the employees use their sick leave, vacation leaves and rest days.

But with the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in 1993, workers are now entitled up to 12 weeks of job-protected medical leave for birth or even adoption. Which benefits are available varies from state to state. In 2002, California led the way in enacting paid family leave, and other states such as Massachusetts and New Jersey followed suit.

Your company may have policies for different kinds of leaves. In any case, you should start researching your options so you optimize your benefits.

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An employer may not single out pregnancy-related conditions for special procedures to determine an employee’s ability to work. However, if an employer requires its employees to submit a doctor’s statement concerning their inability to work before granting leave or paying sick benefits, the employer may require employees affected by pregnancy-related conditions to submit such statements.
If an employee is temporarily unable to perform her job due to pregnancy, the employer must treat her the same as any other temporarily disabled employee. For example, if the employer allows temporarily disabled employees to modify tasks, perform alternative assignments or take disability leave or leave without pay, the employer also must allow an employee who is temporarily disabled due to pregnancy to do the same.
Pregnant employees must be permitted to work as long as they are able to perform their jobs. If an employee has been absent from work as a result of a pregnancy-related condition and recovers, her employer may not require her to remain on leave until the baby’s birth. An employer also may not have a rule that prohibits an employee from returning to work for a predetermined length of time after childbirth.
Employers must hold open a job for a pregnancy-related absence the same length of time jobs are held open for employees on sick or disability leave.