Overview

Covered employers must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons:

for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;

for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;

to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or

to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Key News

The President signed into law S.1422, the "Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act", Public Law 111-119, amending section 101(2) of the FMLA and establishing a special minimum eligibility requirement for airline flight attendants and flight crew members. (December 21, 2009)

The President signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (2010 NDAA), Public Law 111-84. Section 565 of the 2010 NDAA amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These amendments expand on the military family leave rights added to the FMLA in 2008. The military family leave provisions provide qualifying exigency and military caregiver leave for families of covered military members. (October 28, 2009)

The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The final rule became effective on January 16, 2009, and updates the FMLA regulations to implement new military family leave entitlements enacted under the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008. It also includes revisions in response to public comments received on the proposed rule issued in February 2008. (November 17, 2008).