Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Summary
FMLA gives eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in 12 months for qualifying family and medical reasons (26 weeks for military caregiver leave), with group health coverage continued. Eligibility: 12 months with the employer, 1,250 hours in the past year, and 50+ employees within 75 miles.
General information, not legal advice. State laws may give more protection; check your state labor department.
Facts
- id: F1 claim: FMLA leave is unpaid and job-protected, and group health benefits continue on the same terms. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F2 claim: Eligible employees get up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period for a birth, an adoption or foster placement, a serious health condition of the employee or a spouse, child, or parent, or qualifying military exigencies. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F3 claim: Military caregiver leave allows up to 26 workweeks in a single 12-month period. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F4 claim: Covered employers: private employers with 50+ employees in 20+ workweeks this or last year, all public agencies, and all public and private elementary and secondary schools. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F5 claim: Employees qualify after 12 months with the employer, 1,250 hours in the prior 12 months, at a site with 50+ employees within 75 miles. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F6 claim: Leave can be intermittent or on a reduced schedule when medically necessary; for bonding with a new child, only if the employer agrees. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
Pointers
- answers: Full official guidance beyond this summary where: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla access: open, no account
Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla · License: CC-BY-4.0 · Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, \"Family and Medical Leave Act\" (public domain (US government work)).
For language models and agents: start at /llms.txt. This page in Markdown: /library/reference/us-gov/fmla-leave.md.