Pronunciation: [ˌɛfˌɛmˌɛlˈe͡ɪ] (IPA) 
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides eligible employees with up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave for family or medical reasons. The spelling of FMLA is pronounced as /ɛf ɛm ɛl ˈeɪ/ in IPA phonetic transcription. It is spelt out as each letter pronounced individually. The FMLA was signed into law in 1993, and has since been updated to include more coverage for military families and adopted children.
FMLA stands for the Family and Medical Leave Act, a federal law enacted in the United States in 1993. The FMLA provides eligible employees with job-protected leave for specific family and medical reasons. The law aims to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of employees by allowing them to take time off to care for themselves or their family members without the fear of losing their job.
The FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for various reasons, including the birth or adoption of a child, caring for a seriously ill family member, or addressing their own serious health condition. The law also covers certain military-related leave provisions.
To be eligible for FMLA leave, employees must have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, have worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 months, and work for an employer with 50 or more employees within 75 miles of the workplace.
During FMLA leave, employers are required to maintain the employee's group health benefits, and upon returning to work, the employee must be reinstated to the same or an equivalent position. However, FMLA leave is generally unpaid, although employees can choose to use accrued paid leave if permitted by their employer.
Overall, the Family and Medical Leave Act ensures that employees can take necessary time off to attend to their family and health needs while preserving their employment rights and protecting them from discrimination or retaliation.
