The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)¹ is a federal labor law from 1993. FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks off per year (unpaid) for family or medical reasons. Your employer must protect your job and access to your health benefits while you are on leave. 

One qualifying reason to use this is for a serious health condition, such as sickle cell disease, that makes you unable to work. The time can be taken off for various reasons such as:  

• Needing an overnight stay in a hospital 

• Being unable to work for more than 3 days 

• Experiencing periods of disability and treatment¹ 

FMLA can also apply if a parent or guardian needs to take time off to care for a child with a serious health condition. Read more here.² 

FMLA Eligibility 

You must work for a covered organization to take FMLA leave. FMLA covers:  

• Private organizations with at least 50 employees 

• All government agencies and public and private elementary and secondary schools 

At most organizations, you must be at that job for at least 90 days to be eligible for FMLA. Check with your employer about your eligibility.  

Some states have different eligibility rules for family leave programs. Find more information about your state’s program.³