The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides eligible employees of covered employers with unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. In addition to providing eligible employees with an entitlement to leave, the FMLA requires that employers maintain employees’ health benefits during leave and restore employees to their same or equivalent job positions after leave ends.

Eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of leave during any 12-month period for any of the following reasons:

  1. The birth of a son or daughter or placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care, and to bond with the newborn or newly placed child;
  2. To care for a spouse, son, daughter or parent who has a serious health condition, including incapacity due to pregnancy and for prenatal medical care;
  3. For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential function of his or her job, including incapacity due to pregnancy and for prenatal medical care; and
  4. For any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that a spouse, son, daughter or parent is a military member on covered active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty.

Note: Covered employers must grant eligible employees up to a total of 26 weeksof unpaid leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness who is their spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin.