CARING FOR A CHILD:
FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT
If your child's heart condition is
serious and you need to care for your child either at home
or in the hospital, the Family and Medical Leave Act of
1993 requires that covered employers provide up to 12 weeks
of unpaid, job protected leave to "eligible" employees.
During the employee's FMLA leave, the employer must maintain
the employee's health coverage under any "group health
plan" and upon return from leave guarantee the same position
with equivalent pay, benefits and other employment terms.
Employees are eligible if they have worked for a covered employer for at least
one year, and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and at a location
where at least 50 employees are living within 75 miles of the workplace. The
employer may require advance notice and medical certification to approve the
leave. For more information, you can contact the nearest office of the Wage
and Hour Division, listed in most telephone directories under U.S. Government,
Department of Labor.
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