The FMLA provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain family and medical reasons. This leave helps employees balance work and personal responsibilities while maintaining job protection.

Types of FMLA Leave:

• Employee's own serious health condition
• Birth and bonding with a newborn child
• Adoption or foster care placement for the permanent placement of a child
• Care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition
• Qualifying military family leave, including care for a covered service member

Eligibility Criteria:

• Employment with Brown for at least 12 months
• At least 1,250 hours worked during the previous 12 months
• Leave must be for a qualifying reason

FMLA leave may run concurrently with state family and medical leave laws to ensure employees receive the maximum protections available.

Many states provide family and medical leave protections beyond the FMLA, including some that offer paid leave benefits. State programs often run concurrently with FMLA.

Key Considerations:

• State-paid leave programs are funded through payroll taxes, with contributions from the employer, employee, or both.
• Eligibility, benefit amounts, and leave duration vary by state, with some programs requiring a minimum duration of employment ranging from a few months to a year. Many programs also include specific provisions for medical conditions. Each state administers its own program, and eligibility determinations and applications are handled directly by the state.
• Employees whose primary work location is outside Rhode Island may be eligible based on where disability wage taxes are paid.

Employees can learn more about Position Work Locations or explore the Leave and Accommodation Resources page for links to state-specific benefits.

Leave and Accommodation Resources

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, which may include leave as an accommodation.

Key Points:

• Leave may be granted as a reasonable accommodation, including intermittent, short-term, or extended leave, based on the employee's needs and provided it does not create undue hardship for the University.
• Employees not eligible for FMLA may still qualify for ADA leave.
• Employees returning to work with medical restrictions must participate in the interactive process with UHR to determine appropriate accommodations.
• All accommodation requests are evaluated case by case to support a safe and effective return to work.

ADA Eligibility:

• A physical or mental impairment substantially limiting one or more major life activities
• A record of such an impairment
• Being regarded as having such an impairment

For more information about requesting employee accommodations, visit the Employee Accommodation Services webpage.

Employee Accommodation Services