The Family and Medical Leave Act is designed to help people balance their work and family obligations by allowing reasonable amounts of unpaid leave for specific family and medical issues. This act covers all public agencies, public and private elementary and secondary schools, and private employers with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the following circumstances:
- The birth and care of a newborn child.
- Placement of a child for adoption or foster care.
- Care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition.
- Employee is unable to work due to a serious health condition.
Employees qualify for leave if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, have logged at least 1,250 hours over the past year, and work at a location where the employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles.
Thirteen states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Washington) and the District of Columbia have mandatory paid family and medical leave laws.
In addition, nine states have voluntary paid family medical leave systems that use private insurance. Some states also have paid temporary disability insurance, which provides cash benefits to workers who are unable to work due to an off-the-job injury or illness.