The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for Supervisors Training Course

What is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

The FMLA is a federal law that provides eligible employees of covered employers with up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for specified family and medical reasons.

Who is considered a "covered employer" under the FMLA?

Covered employers include private-sector employers with 50 or more employees, public agencies, public and private elementary and secondary schools, and these employers must comply with FMLA requirements.

What are the eligibility requirements for employees to take FMLA leave?

Employees must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months before the start of leave, work at a location where the employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles, and the 12 months of employment do not need to be consecutive.

What reasons qualify for FMLA leave?

Eligible employees can take FMLA leave for the birth of a child and bonding with the newborn, the placement of a child for adoption or foster care, and to bond with the child, to care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition, the employee's own serious health condition that makes them unable to work, certain qualifying exigencies arising from a family member's military service, and to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness.

What is required for medical certification under FMLA?

Employers may require medical certification to support the need for FMLA leave. Employees must provide the certification within 15 calendar days of the employer's request. In some cases, additional time may be allowed.