What the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
The Family Medical Leave Act is a federal law that was passed in 1993 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment Standards Administration. The law specifies the terms and conditions under which an “eligible” employee becomes entitled to job leave. FMLA applies to employers of all levels of government agencies, schools and private companies who employ more than 50 people for 20 weeks or more of the calendar year and are in some way involved in commerce. The law requires that you be entitled to a total of 12 weeks unpaid leave during a 12-month period. These 12 weeks must be taken within one year after you have given birth or received a placement for adoption. In fact, you and your partner are each entitled to 12 weeks of FMLA leave, which you may choose to take at the same time, in overlapping times or consecutively. If the same company employs you and your partner, however, you will be entitled to a combined total of 12 weeks. In some cases, you may be entitled to take your leave int
