The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. This leave can be taken for up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period
. The reasons for taking FMLA leave include the employee's own serious health condition, the need to care for a family member with a serious health condition, the birth and care of a newborn child, or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care
. The FMLA also includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a covered serviceman during a 12-month period
. To be eligible, an employee must have worked for at least one year and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months with the same employer
. The FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take leave for certain family and medical reasons without the risk of losing their job or health insurance coverage
