Family and Medical Leave Act (Especially Important for HAE Sufferors)

If your company employs more than 50 people, you may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA):

Synopsis of Act

Covered employers* must grant an eligible employee** up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons:

• for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;
• for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
• to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
• to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition [HAE falls under this "reason"].

*Covered Employer = Company who employs 50 or more employees for each working day during each of 20 or more calendar workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year.

**Eligible Employee = Employed by the employer for at least 12 months, and has been employed for at least 1,250 hours of service during the 12-month period immediately preceding the commencement of the leave and employed at a worksite where 50 or more employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles of that worksite.

To read up on the exact details, visit http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/.