(a) No employee shall lose any employee benefits, except as provided for in Section 20 of this Act, for exercising his or her rights under this Act. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect an employer’s obligation to comply with any collective bargaining agreement or employee benefit plan. Nothing in this Act shall prevent an employer from providing school visitation rights in excess of the requirements of this Act. The rights afforded by this Act shall not be diminished by any collective bargaining act or by any employee benefit plan.
     (b) An employer may not terminate an employee for an absence from work if the absence is due solely to the employee’s attendance at a school conference, behavioral meeting, or academic meeting, as provided in Section 15.