NOTICE: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule on February 6, 2013, which became effective on March 8, 2013, to implement statutory amendments to the FMLA. This Advisor has been updated to reflect the 2013 Final Rule. More Information.

Leave taken prior to March 8, 2013 may be subject to previous regulations. If you have any questions regarding your ability to take FMLA leave after reviewing the Advisor, please contact your local district office.

The FMLA Advisor was developed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to help employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities under the FMLA. The FMLA Advisor can help identify which employers are covered by the law, which employees are eligible for FMLA leave, what entitlements and benefits are provided under the law, and in what situations FMLA leave may be used. The FMLA Advisor is intended to provide general guidance. If after using the Advisor you need further assistance, please contact the Wage and Hour Division office nearest you.

The FMLA Advisor is one of a series of elaws (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses) Advisors developed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to help employers and employees understand their rights and responsibilities under Federal employment laws. To view the entire list of elaws Advisors please visit the elaws website. To learn more about DOL’s efforts to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards in place to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce, visit the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) website.