The Family and Medical Leave Act was established to help and support those workers who are going through a bad moment of health and need to take time off work to recover properly. This law also allows them to take this time in case one of their immediate family members is ill and requires care.
In addition, thanks to this, future fathers or mothers have the right to be absent in order to receive their new son or daughter and also considering adoptions.
In this way, labor laws seek to support workers so that they can find a balance between work and family or between work and health care. Thus, thousands of employees benefit from this law specifically to be available in difficult or special moments with their loved ones or to be able to take care of themselves when diagnosed with a serious health condition that prevents them from going to work.
The FMLA must be followed by any employer with more than 50 workers, and if an eligible worker requests this leave, they must be allowed up to 12 weeks to take care of such personal matters.
The requirements that workers must meet for the law to be respected are:
- Have worked for the same employer for at least 12 months.
- Have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months
- Work for a company that has more than 50 employees within a 75-mile radius.
Remember that receiving this permit is one of the legal benefits that you can have as a worker if you meet the above requirements, so it is your right to receive this permit if you need it, regardless of whether it is to take care of yourself or one of your loved ones. In case this is not the case, do not hesitate to contact one of our lawyers. We can help you at Lara & Luna APC.