What type of leave does the Family and Medical Leave Act provide?

• A. A federal law that allows eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons
• B. A state tax regulation
• C. A hospital patient care protocol
• D. A city ordinance on parking

Answer: (A)

This type of leave is a federal entitlement: eligible employees may take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. It is nationwide, not a state tax rule, a hospital protocol, or a city ordinance. The leave can be used for events such as the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition, or for the employee’s own serious health condition. While the leave is unpaid, health benefits are continued, and employees must be restored to the same or an equivalent position upon return (subject to certain conditions). Eligibility typically requires working for a covered employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the prior year, with the employer having at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius.