Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

FMLA FORMS – CLICK HERE FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Under the family and medical leave act of 1993 (FMLA), eligible employees of the U.S. Postal Service are entitled to receive unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons. Qualified medical and family reasons include: personal or family illness, pregnancy, adoption, or the foster-care placement of a child.

The FMLA is intended “to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families.” It allows eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to attend to the serious health condition of the employee, his or her parent, spouse or child, or for pregnancy or care of a newborn child, or for adoption or foster care of a child.

To be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have been employed by the employer at least 12 months, and worked at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the employer employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles.

The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008 amended the FMLA to provide two types of military family leave for FMLA-eligible employees: “qualifying exigency leave” and “military caregiver leave.”

FMLA RESOURCES

The following documents and links provide guidance and assistance for APWU members and representatives when applying the provisions of the FMLA to postal employees.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Questions and Answers

Your Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

Arbitration Award: USPS #Q06C-4Q-C 11001666 and Q06C-4Q-C 11008239

Arbitration Award: USPS #Q00C-4Q-C 02126262

Arbitration Award: USPS #H98C-4H-D 99290624

USPS and Department of Labor (DOL) Letters Regarding 1250 Work-hour Eligibility Requirement

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) FMLA Compliance Assistance site