The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act generally provides eligible workers with 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave during a 12-month period.
President Bill Clinton signed the law on February 5, 1993, and it took effect on August 5, 1993. Covered employees may use leave for reasons such as the birth or placement of a child, their own serious health condition, or caring for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition.
FMLA leave is unpaid under federal law, although workers may sometimes use accrued paid leave at the same time. The law generally applies to employees of covered employers who meet service and hours-worked requirements. A separate military-caregiver provision can provide up to 26 workweeks in a single 12-month period, which is why 26 weeks is a common but incomplete answer to the general rule.