Free answer
FMLA — unpaid, job-protected leave
Federal
FMLA gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period, including for the birth of a child and bonding with them. The important word is unpaid: FMLA protects your job, it does not pay you.
What people get wrong
- Eligibility has three separate conditions and you need all of them: at least 12 months with the employer, at least 1,250 hours of service in the 12 months before the leave, and a worksite where the employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles.
- Part-time and recent hires frequently do not qualify. Find out before you plan around it.
- FMLA is unpaid. Any money during leave comes from somewhere else.
Where this comes from
Checked against these sources on 2026-10-12. Rules change — if a deadline matters to you, confirm it with the authority rather than with us.
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