Do you need to leave work for a family emergency or sickness?
Are you worried you will lose your job because of this absence? The Family and
Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, is a federal law that requires employers to provide
employees job-protection and unpaid leave for qualified family and medical
reasons.
To qualify for FMLA a worker must be;
- Employed at a place of business with more than 50 employees.
- Have worked for the employer for at least 12 months or 1250 hours within the previous 12 months.
If you qualify for FMLA, you’re eligible for unpaid,
job-protected leave for up to 12 weeks in 1 year to;
- Care for a new child, including the birth of a child or the adoption or placement of a child in foster care.
- To care for a seriously ill family member like a spouse, child under the age of 18 or a child over the age of 18 protected by the American Disabilities Act, or parent.
- To recover from serious illness.
- To care for an injured service member in the family.
- To address issues that may arise with a family member’s deployment.
Federal FMLA benefits do not apply to;
- Workers in businesses with fewer than 50 employees, part-time workers who have worked fewer than 1250 hours in the 12 months preceding the leave and a paid vacation.
- Workers who need time off to care for seriously ill elderly relatives (other than parents) or pets.
- Workers who need time off to recover from short-term/common illness such as a cold or to care for family members with similar illness.
- Workers who want time off for routine medical care like check-ups.
To learn more, go to: http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/
