The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is the federal law that governs when an employee needs to take a leave of absence to attend to medical and family issues. The most common reasons employees seek leave under the FMLA are to give birth to a child, foster care placement of a child, to take care of an immediate family member, or because of medical leave (e.g. the employee has a serious health condition). How many weeks am I entitled to under the FMLA? Generally, an employee is entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Do I qualify for 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the FMLA? That depends. While there are a few exceptions, you must work for an employer for 12 months, have worked for an employer for 1,250 hours or more in the last 12 months, and work at a qualified employer with at least 50 employees who are employed by the employer within 75 miles. Keep in mind, however, that the 12 months you worked for the employer do not necessarily need to be consecutive. Feldman, Fox & Morgado has lawyers experienced in litigating and advising clients on the Family Medical Leave Act. Click here to have your FMLA legal issues evaluated. |
