The Family & Medical Leave Act is a federal law that allows covered employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for serious health conditions, to care for a spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition, and to care for a newborn, a newly adopted child, or a placed foster child.
You are a covered employee if you have worked for your employer for at least one year, or worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months. You must also work for an employer that employs at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius.
Your employer is not allowed to terminate you while you are on FMLA leave and when you return to work, your employer is required to allow you to return to the same or comparable job.
Washington’s Family Leave Act mirrors the federal Family and Medical Leave Act but it grants additional benefits to pregnant women, employees with spouses in the military, and victims of domestic violence or employees whose family members are victims of domestic violence.
At MBE Law Group, our employment attorneys understand that the decision to take Family & Medical Leave is personal and often very painful. In those circumstances, your employer is suppose to support you and allow you the opportunity for leave to care for yourself or someone you love. When that does not happen, and your employer discriminates or retaliates against you, MBE Law Group is here to help. If you or someone you know has been adversely impacted for taking Family & Medical Leave do not hesitate to contact us.