What types of events are covered under the FMLA?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that requires employers in Washington to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period. The FMLA applies to employers with 50 or more employees, and it is designed to allow workers to take leave to attend to their own or a family member’s medical needs, or for other reasons. Events or circumstances covered under the FMLA include illness, including serious health conditions, of an employee or a family member; care for a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed in foster care; military duty, leave for a qualifying exigency, or as a caregiver for a wounded service member; bereavement; parental leave; and more. In order to be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, and must have worked at least 1,250 hours total in the 12 months leading up to the leave. The employee must also work at a site where the employer has at least 50 employees at or within 75 miles of the work site. The FMLA allows for employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for any of the qualifying events or circumstances listed above. It also provides job protection so that an employer must hold the employee’s job for them during their absence, as long as the employee meets certain requirements. Employees are also typically allowed to use accrued paid time off to cover their leave time.

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What types of events are covered under the FMLA?

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