Amount of Leave

• Under the Connecticut law, employees are allowed 16 weeks of unpaid leave every 24 months if they have worked for the same employer for at least 1,000 hours in the 12-month period before the leave begins. The federal law, which is administered by the United States Department of Labor, allows 12 weeks of unpaid leave if the employee has worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months.
  
  Another difference between the two laws is the number of employees required before the law applies. The federal law applies to companies that have 50 or more employees, while the Connecticut law applies to companies with 75 or more employees. If a company has between 50 and 75 employees, it only needs to comply with the federal law.
  
  

Reasons for Leave

• Under Connecticut law, employees may request family or medical leave upon the birth of a child, the adoption of a child, receiving a foster child into their home, or to care for a seriously ill family member, such as a spouse, child or parent. Employees also may take family leave if they, themselves, have a serious health condition or want to be a bone marrow or organ donor. Leave is generally unpaid, though employees can use vacation or sick time while they are off work.
  
  

Applying for Leave

• The Connecticut law requires employees to give their employers at least a 30-day notice of their intent to take family leave whenever this is possible. In an emergency or if required treatment cannot be postponed for 30 days, the employee should give as much notice as possible. The state law states employers may require a certificate from a health care provider verifying the conditions for the leave. If the employer does not think the leave is necessary, he can require a second opinion from another provider. If the two providers disagree, the employer can request a third opinion from a provider that both he and the employee agree on. State law states the employer will pay for the second and third opinions.
  
  

After the Leave

• When her leave is over, an employee is entitled to return to her same job with the same rate of pay and benefits. However, the law says that if the job is no longer available, the employer must provide the employee with a similar job with the same pay and benefits as the pre-leave position. The Connecticut law is administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor.