Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

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The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for any of the following reasons:

An eligible employee may also take up to 26 weeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness, when the employee is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of the service member.

EMPLOYERS

FMLA applies to all public agencies, including state, local and federal employers, local education agencies (schools), and private-sector employers who employ 50 or more employees in 20 or more weeks.

EMPLOYEES

To be eligible for FMLA benefits, an employee must:

ENFORCEMENT

The Wage and Hour Division investigates complaints. If violations cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the U.S. Department of Labor may bring action in court to compel compliance. Individuals may also be able to bring a private civil action against an employer for violations.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information see the U.S. Department of Labor’s overview of the FMLA at http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/index.htm, and an FMLA fact sheet at http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.pdf.

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SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor
PREPARED BY: 211/jm
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: September2024