Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

About the Family and Medical Leave Act

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to:

  • Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for:
    -the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
    -the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for -the newly placed child within one year of placement;
    -to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition;
    -a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job;
    -any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or

  • Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

How to Request FMLA Leave and Absences

1. Approval for FMLA leave is requested through Human Resources. Please go to the Human Resources FMLA web page for forms and instructions.  

2. After being approved for FMLA leave through Human Resources, you may request paid or unpaid leave for specific time spans by submitting the FMLA Absence Request to your site Timekeeper. This form is found on the Payroll Forms web page. 


Click here for the Department of Labor's FMLA Poster

flyer