The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) was created as a way of providing employees with a means of coping with the challenging demands of family and home. It applies to companies with 50 employees or more in one location or 50 employees within a 75mile radius. It helps workers, who for personal reasons may require time off. It allows up to 12 weeks unpaid leave and the employee at the end of that period is entitled to return to the same or similar position that they were in before they left. The Act covers the following situations:
for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;
for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.
The employee must have been with the company for more than one year and have worked more than 24 hours a week in the year preceding the requested leave. Usually, the employer will require a doctor`s certificate to corroborate the circumstances.
