What does the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allow employees to do?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is designed to provide employees with the ability to take unpaid leave for specific family and medical reasons while ensuring job protection. This includes situations such as the birth of a child, adoption, personal or family illness, or caring for a family member with a serious health condition. The key feature of FMLA is that it allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave in a 12-month period under qualifying conditions.

This option reflects the primary intent of the FMLA, which is to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families, fostering a healthier work-life balance for employees. It does not provide for paid leave, nor does it allow the transfer of benefits or restrict leave solely to personal illness, making it distinct from other types of leave and benefit provisions.