How Do I Know if I’m Eligible for FMLA?

 FMLA stands for the Family and Medical Leave Act, a federal law in the United States that provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain family and medical reasons. The law applies to employers with 50 or more employees and to employees who have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous year.

Under the FMLA, eligible employees can take leave for the following reasons:

• The birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• To care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition.
• A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job.
• Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is a covered military member on active duty.

Additionally, eligible employees who are the spouse, child, parent, or next of kin of a covered service member with a serious injury or illness may take up to 26 weeks of leave in a single 12-month period to care for the service member.