DocketXDocketX / Family and medical leave
Family and medical leave: FMLA and your state's program
FMLA is federal, unpaid, and job-protecting; some states run their own law or a paid program on top of it. Every page here is written without a stale week-count, threshold, or percentage, those change, so every page points you to the DOL's own page or your state's own agency for the current numbers instead of guessing.
Start here
FMLA, explained
What the federal Family and Medical Leave Act actually does, in plain terms, without a stale week-co
Open →Am I eligible for FMLA
How FMLA eligibility actually works in concept, tenure, hours, and employer size all matter, without
Open →Denied FMLA leave, what now
What to actually do when an employer denies FMLA leave you believe should qualify, including the fre
Open →FMLA leave for your own condition
What actually counts as a 'serious health condition' for your own FMLA leave, and how that differs f
Open →FMLA leave to care for a family member
Which family relationships actually qualify for FMLA leave to provide care, and the honest limits on
Open →FMLA paperwork and certification
What the medical certification form your employer can require for FMLA leave actually involves, and
Open →FMLA vs. ADA accommodation
How FMLA leave and a reasonable accommodation under the ADA are different legal tools, and why a ret
Open →FMLA vs. short-term disability
Why FMLA and short-term disability insurance are two entirely different things that often overlap, a
Open →Fired while on FMLA leave
Being fired during or right after FMLA leave isn't automatically illegal, but it raises real questio
Open →How to request FMLA leave
The practical steps for requesting FMLA leave the right way, in writing, with enough notice, and wha
Open →Intermittent leave, explained
How FMLA leave taken in blocks, or as a reduced schedule, actually works, and why it's often more co
Open →Pregnancy and parental leave
How FMLA, pregnancy-related medical leave, and bonding leave for a new child actually relate to each
Open →Returning to work after FMLA leave
What your employer actually owes you when you return from FMLA leave, what 'equivalent job' really m
Open →What my employer must actually do
The specific, concrete things a covered employer has to do once you request FMLA leave, not just vag
Open →Your state
Does your state run its own leave law or paid program
Every state is different, some run a full paid-leave insurance program, some have a state law that's broader than federal FMLA, most rely on federal FMLA alone. Find your state for the honest, curl-verified answer.
You don't need a lawyer to start
Every step above is built for people without lawyers
A WHD complaint and a state agency complaint are both free and designed for workers to use directly. Read our pro se guide for how self-representation works generally, and if a lawyer's cost is the blocker at any stage, our can't-afford-a-lawyer triage covers every free and low-cost path, including legal aid.
Not legal advice and not a law firm. We don't predict outcomes, and eligibility thresholds, leave lengths, and benefit amounts change and vary by employer, by state, and by program, never rely on a number from this page, confirm the current figures at dol.gov's own FMLA page or your state's agency. If you can get a lawyer or free legal aid, do: start at lsc.gov.