Harris Texas Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides eligible employees with certain job protections and unpaid leave for specified family and medical reasons. In Harris County, Texas, employees have specific rights and protections under the FMLA. 1. Eligibility: To qualify for FMLA leave, employees must meet certain criteria. In Harris County, Texas, employees are eligible if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, have worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months, and their employer has at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius. 2. Covered Reasons for Leave: Under the FMLA, Harris County employees can take unpaid leave for various reasons, including: a. Birth or adoption of a child: Employees can take FMLA leaves to bond with a newly born or adopted child within one year of the birth or placement. b. Serious health condition: Employees can take FMLA leaves to receive treatment for their own serious health condition or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. c. Military family leave: This type of leave includes both qualifying exigency leave, which allows employees to take time off for certain military-related events, and military caregiver leave, which permits an employee to care for a covered family member who is a current service member or veteran with a serious injury or illness. 3. Length of Leave: Harris County employees can take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave within a 12-month period. However, military caregiver leave allows up to 26 workweeks of leave in a single 12-month period. 4. Employee Rights and Protections: a. Job protection: Employees taking FMLA leave are entitled to have their job or an equivalent position available upon their return. b. Continuation of health benefits: Employers are required to maintain the employee's health benefits during FMLA leave on the same terms as if the employee had continued working. c. Restoration of accrued benefits: Harris County employees must be allowed to use any accrued paid leave (such as vacation or sick leave) during their FMLA leave. d. Non-retaliation: Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for exercising or attempting to exercise their FMLA rights. e. Notice and certification: Employees requesting FMLA leave must provide notice to their employer, and in certain cases, may be required to provide medical certification to support the need for leave. These are the key aspects of Harris Texas Employee Rights Under the Family and Medical Leave Act. It is important for employees in Harris County to be aware of their rights and obligations under this law to ensure they receive the necessary support during difficult life situations.
Para su conveniencia, debajo del texto en español le brindamos la versión completa de este formulario en inglés. For your convenience, the complete English version of this form is attached below the Spanish version.