Which act provides for unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical reasons?

• A. Equal Pay Act
• B. Fair Labor Standards Act
• C. Family and Medical Leave Act
• D. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

Answer: (C)

The concept tested is which law provides unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical reasons. The Family and Medical Leave Act fits this description precisely. It allows eligible employees to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for qualifying family or medical reasons, such as the birth or placement of a child, caring for a seriously ill family member, or the employee’s own serious health condition. Importantly, it guarantees job restoration or an equivalent position when the leave ends and requires that health insurance benefits be maintained on the same terms during the leave.

Eligibility hinges on working for a covered employer (generally 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius) and meeting minimum tenure and hours requirements (typically at least 1,250 hours worked in the prior 12 months). While the leave is unpaid, some employers may provide paid leave separately, but FMLA itself ensures job protection and benefit continuation during the absence.

The other acts address different issues: wage discrimination, minimum wage and overtime, or protection against discrimination based on genetic information, and do not establish unpaid, job-protected family and medical leave.