FMLA and leave rules for employers, in one place.
The Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave and requires the employer to keep group health coverage going. This page connects the rules, the penalties, benefits during leave and disability coverage.
Three areas, and the page for each.
The Rules
What the FMLA requires of Michigan employers.
Penalties
What a violation can cost an employer.
Benefits During Leave
Keeping group coverage going while an employee is out.
Writing a policy that fits the law.
FMLA Rules For Michigan Employers
The 2026 compliance guide.
Leave Policy Design
Building a leave policy that works.
Multi-State Leave Compliance
Tracking leave rules across states.
Leave And Absence Management
Support for managing leave requests.
Required Employee Notices
The notices employees must receive.
FMLA Penalties For Employers
What a violation can cost.
Coverage and income while an employee is out.
Benefits Continuation On Leave
Keeping coverage in place during leave.
Disability Plan Coordination
How disability coverage works alongside leave.
Short-Term Disability Insurance
What it covers, how it pays and what it costs.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
What it covers, how it pays and what it costs.
Long-Term Disability Buyer’s Guide
A buyer’s guide for Michigan employers.
Short-Term Vs. Long-Term Disability
Designing a complete income protection plan.
How FMLA Leave Affects Group Health Coverage
Coverage Continues
During FMLA leave, the employer must maintain the employee’s group health coverage at the same level and under the same conditions as if the employee had kept working.
Restoration To Position
An employee returning from protected leave is generally restored to the same or an equivalent job with the same pay, benefits and terms.
Accrued Benefits Are Protected
Benefits that accrued before the leave cannot be lost because of it, though employees do not earn new seniority or benefits during leave.
No Extra Rights
An employee is not entitled to any right, benefit or position they would not have had if they had stayed at work.
Premium Recovery
If the employee does not return after leave ends, the employer may recover the premiums it paid during unpaid leave, subject to exceptions.
Exceptions To Recovery
Recovery is not allowed where the employee did not return because of a continuing serious health condition or circumstances beyond the employee’s control.
Source: 29 U.S.C. 2614.
Common Questions About The FMLA
Which employers are covered by the FMLA?
Private employers with 50 or more employees for at least 20 workweeks in the current or previous calendar year, plus all public agencies and all local schools regardless of size. Check an employee against the three tests with our FMLA eligibility calculator.
Which employees are eligible?
An employee who has worked for the employer for at least 12 months, has at least 1,250 hours of service in the 12 months before leave starts, and works at a location with at least 50 employees within 75 miles.
How much leave is available?
Up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period for most qualifying reasons, and up to 26 workweeks of military caregiver leave in a single 12-month period.
Is FMLA leave paid?
No, it is unpaid. Paid leave the employer already provides can run at the same time when the reason for leave is covered by that policy.
Do we have to keep group health coverage going during leave?
Yes. Coverage must continue on the same terms as if the employee had not taken leave, including family coverage. The benefits continuation page covers the practical details.
Does Michigan add its own leave rules?
State rules can add to the federal ones, and an employer with employees in more than one state has more to track. Our Michigan guide and the multi-state page cover what to check.
The rules in one place.
Caregiver Support, Sick Time and Paid Leave
How leave laws and paid-time programs connect to your health plan and policies.
Rehired Employees and Breaks in Service
When coverage restarts for a returning employee and when a waiting period applies again.
Military Leave and USERRA Coverage
What employers must continue and restore.
Michigan Employer Benefit Laws
Wages, sick time, civil rights and coverage mandates, in one place.
Unpaid Leave and Coverage Guide
Continuing benefits outside the FMLA.
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