Family Medical Leave Act/Sick Leave
It is neither fair nor necessary to ask working Americans to choose between their jobs and their families—between continuing their employment and tending to their own health or to vital needs at home.”
–President Bill Clinton, upon signing FMLA into law in 1993
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers (with 50 or more employees) to provide up to 12 weeks of leave to certain employees (employees who have worked for the employer for at least one year and worked at least 1,250 hours). While on FMLA leave, you are entitled to receive the same benefits that you received as an active employee.
When you return from leave, you are entitled to return to the same or a similar position. An employer may require you in certain circumstances to use paid sick, PTO, or vacation time while you are on leave. However, an employer cannot treat you differently because you took FMLA leave or provide you with lesser benefits than you would receive while taking other leave.
In addition to the FMLA, many states have laws that require employers to provide paid sick leave.