Department of Labor
Department of Labor

Department of Labor

FMLA & Medical Leave RightsLeave a comment

How Long Does FMLA Approval Take? The 5- and 15-Day Rules

FMLA approval usually takes three to four weeks — but most of that is your own 15-day window to return medical paperwork, not your employer deciding. They have five business days to confirm eligibility and five more to designate the leave, and those are legal deadlines rather than targets. Here’s the full timeline, what actually causes delays, what to send if your employer is late, and why you usually don’t have to wait for approval to start your leave.

Labor LawsLeave a comment

Lunch Break Laws by State (and What to Do If You’re Denied)

No federal law requires your employer to give you a lunch break — about twenty states do, and the rest leave it entirely to your employer. But federal law does govern when a break has to be paid, and that’s where most break disputes actually live. Here’s which states require a meal period, when an unpaid break becomes compensable work time, and what to do if you’re being denied one.