Florida, however, has no such law on the books protecting a woman's job if she wants to take time off to recover from childbirth and bond with her new child. Under the FMLA, a person is allowed to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from their job for certain family related reasons.Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Eligibility, Employees with at least 12 months with the state, who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Florida state employees are entitled to a maximum of six months of unpaid parental or family leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. In Florida, there is no state law mandating that any employer provide maternity leave at all. This federal law entitles employees who work for covered employers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain qualifying reasons. A 12month employment requirement is the first criterion for FMLA eligibility in Florida. The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) is effective Oct.