Unpaid Sick Leave
Under federal law and some state laws, certain employees have the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year (any 12-month period) for the following reasons:
- You have a serious health condition that keeps you from doing your job;
- You need to care for a sick child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition;
- You need to care for a newborn child, newly adopted child, or foster child.
- You have a family member who is a covered military member on active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty) in support of a contingency operation and need time to manage their affairs
In addition, certain eligible employees have the right to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave per year (any 12-month period) to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active service.
If you are eligible, you may take family leave (leave to care for someone in your family) or medical leave (leave to seek care for or recover from your own serious health condition) without losing your job.
Under the law, your job is protected during your leave. When you return to work, your employer must give you either the same job you had before your leave, or a position with equivalent benefits, pay, working conditions, and seniority. Your employer must continue to pay for your health insurance coverage during your leave as it normally would have during your employment.
If you qualify for a family or medical leave, you are able to take that leave free from harassment or discrimination. Your employer cannot interfere with your right to take leave or discriminate against you in any way, especially regarding to your medical leave.
If you, or someone you know, are facing legal issues in the workplace United Employees Law Group has the answers. Call Today for your free and confidential case review. Please feel free to CONTACT US with any questions about this blog or your exact situation.
Courtesy of Workplace Fairness. For more information regarding the article, visit http://www.workplacefairness.org/family-leave
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