For employees living with chronic medical conditions, managing their health while maintaining job responsibilities can be challenging. Conditions such as arthritis, migraines, diabetes and other chronic illnesses often inspire intermittent flares. These are periods when symptoms worsen, making it difficult or impossible for someone to work for a time.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides important protections for workers facing these challenges, including coverage for intermittent leave when flare-ups occur. The FMLA is a federal law that grants eligible employees a certain amount of unpaid leave per year for specific family and medical reasons, including their own serious health conditions.
How it works
Since FMLA protection allows for intermittent leave, employees do not have to take their available leave all at once. Instead, they can take it in smaller increments, such as a few hours or days at a time, in order to more effectively manage their health.
For employees with chronic conditions, this flexibility is important. It means that if you have a chronic condition that intermittently makes it difficult for you to work, you can take time off when you need it most without worrying about losing your job. Whether you need to attend regular medical appointments, recover from a particularly bad day or manage sudden symptoms, FMLA intermittent leave can potentially provide you with necessary time off.
To use FMLA leave for intermittent flares, you’ll need to provide your employer with medical certification from your health care provider. This certification should outline the nature of your condition, the necessity of intermittent leave and an estimate of the frequency and duration of the leave you require. Communication with your employer can help you to better ensure that your leave is managed effectively and that your job remains protected.