Employee Leave Toolkit

Resources to help employers comply with the legal requirements associated with employees taking leaves of absence from work.

Employers often struggle to comply with their legal obligation to provide job-protected leave from employment. There is no single, uniform rule governing leave. Instead leave law is made up of multiple, complex and interrelated rules.

Failure to comply with leave law requirements can result in substantial legal and financial consequences. For example, employers may be required to pay lost wages, double damages and attorneys' fees. Additional legal consequences may include mandated employee reinstatement or promotion and other injunctive relief.

Understanding the core requirements of employee leave law helps employers avoid penalties and promote compliance. An employee may need a leave of absence for:

• Personal disability or illness. Leave necessitated because of the health of an employee implicates a number of federal and state statutes that define coverage and rules for when, how and to whom leave must be granted. Relevant federal laws include:

  • the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (www.practicallaw.com/7-502-3432) (FMLA) (29 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2654);

  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (www.practicallaw.com/0-501-7062) (Title VII) (42 U.S.C. § 2000e); and

  • the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (www.practicallaw.com/7-501-9331) (ADA) (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213).

• Workplace health and safety issues. Employees may need to take a leave of absence because of illness or injury on the job that may require an understanding of workers' compensation (www.practicallaw.com/9-503-8277) and laws relevant to an outbreak of pandemic disease.

• Family disability or illness. The FMLA and some states' equivalent laws require covered employers to offer leave to eligible employees who need time to care for family members.

• Pregnancy or parental obligations. Pregnancy-related conditions may be regarded as a disability (www.practicallaw.com/5-501-9332) under federal law, and pregnant employees may be entitled to disability leave. New parents are also authorized to take job-protected leave under the FMLA. Some states, like California, have statutes specifically granting additional rights to pregnant employees.

• Military service obligations. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (www.practicallaw.com/5-502-5644) (USERRA) protects an employee's right to return to work after returning from qualifying military service.

• State-specific obligations. State laws may impose additional or different obligations on employers, including leave for jury duty, witness testimony, voting or blood donation. (For more information about state-specific leave laws, see Related Content to the right.)

The Employee Leave Toolkit provides information on best practices for responding to employee leave issues, including resources to help employers respond to leave requests, comply with leave laws and minimize litigation risk.

Practice Notes

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Basics (www.practicallaw.com/9-505-1339)

• Military Leave Law (www.practicallaw.com/7-504-4849)

• Disability Accommodation under the ADA (www.practicallaw.com/9-503-9007)

• Pregnancy and Parental Leave (www.practicallaw.com/7-505-0393)

• Pandemic Flu Preparation and Response (www.practicallaw.com/3-505-0385)

• Workers' Compensation: Common Questions (www.practicallaw.com/0-504-9497)

Standard Documents

• Family and Medical Leave Policy (www.practicallaw.com/4-505-0573)

• Family and Medical Leave Act Request Form (www.practicallaw.com/9-503-3053)

• Military Service Leave Policy (www.practicallaw.com/8-504-4641)

• Pregnancy and Parental Leave Policy (www.practicallaw.com/9-505-1117)

• FMLA Designation Notice (www.practicallaw.com/9-504-8016)

• FMLA Notice of Eligibility, Rights and Responsibilities (www.practicallaw.com/2-504-7949)

• FMLA Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave (www.practicallaw.com/3-504-8731)

• FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member's Serious Health Condition (www.practicallaw.com/4-504-8556)

• FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee's Serious Health Condition (www.practicallaw.com/8-504-8267)

• FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Current Military Member for Military Caregiver Leave (www.practicallaw.com/4-504-8778)

• FMLA Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave (www.practicallaw.com/0-525-4572)

• Safe Harbor Provision Under GINA (www.practicallaw.com/6-504-8777)

• Bereavement Leave Policy (www.practicallaw.com/3-505-8386)

• Jury Duty Leave Policy (www.practicallaw.com/8-506-2890)

• Witness and Victims of Crime Leave Policy (www.practicallaw.com/1-506-3807)

• Paid Time Off/Vacation Policy (www.practicallaw.com/2-517-9157)

• Bone Marrow, Organ and Blood Donation Policy (www.practicallaw.com/6-519-4066)

Checklists

• Disability Leave: Best Practices Checklist (www.practicallaw.com/0-504-5574)

• FMLA Employee Notice and Employer Response Checklist (www.practicallaw.com/2-503-9100)

• FMLA Employer Coverage and Employee Eligibility Checklist (www.practicallaw.com/1-503-9025)

• Resolving Issues During and After FMLA Leave Checklist (www.practicallaw.com/0-503-9097)

• Military Service Leave: Best Practices Checklist (www.practicallaw.com/6-504-8273)

• Pregnancy and Parental Leave: Best Practices Checklist (www.practicallaw.com/1-505-3224)