Family and Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act, widely known as FMLA, is a U.S. federal law that entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for a set of specific family and medical reasons, including the birth or adoption of a child, caring for a seriously ill family member, or managing the employee's own serious health condition. The law guarantees that eligible employees can return to their same or an equivalent position after their leave concludes. FMLA applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a certain distance of the workplace, and eligibility for individual employees generally depends on factors such as length of service and hours worked in the preceding year. Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave in a 12-month period for most qualifying reasons, with an extended allowance available for certain military family situations. While FMLA leave itself is unpaid, employees may be able to use accrued paid leave concurrently, and some states have enacted their own paid family leave laws that can run alongside FMLA protections. Employers need to carefully track FMLA eligibility, properly designate qualifying leave, and maintain job protection throughout the leave period to remain compliant with this important federal employment law.