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The brief uses data from the 2018 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Employee Survey to summarize findings on employee leave-taking rates and characteristics of leaves taken. The survey asked about family and medical leave, both for qualifying FMLA reasons and for care of non-immediate family members with serious health conditions (which does not typically qualify). Other medical reasons that are not serious health conditions, such as a sick day for a cold, are not included.

Key Takeaways

• Overall, 15 percent of employees took leave for a qualifying FMLA reason in the past 12 months.
• A higher share of employees in single-parent households (29%) take leave than do those in dual-parent households (19%).
• Employees with lower educational attainment take leave at a higher rate than those with higher educational attainment.
• More than half of leaves are for an employee’s own illness (51%); one-quarter are for a new child (25%).
• The average leave for a qualifying FMLA reason involves about six weeks away from work (28 business days), more than a week shorter than in 2012 (35 business days).
• Intermittent leave is becoming more common.
• Intermittent leaves tend to be shorter overall.
• Intermittent leave is more commonly taken for an employee’s own illness (47%) than for a new child (13%).

Citation

Brown, S., Herr, J., Roy, R., Klerman, J.A. (2020). Abt Associates. Employee and Worksite Perspectives of the FMLA: Employee Leave-Taking Patterns. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.