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FMLA

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Last Modified: May 11, 2010

Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"

How much time am I allowed to take off from work for treatment?

Rodney N. Warner, Staff Attorney at The Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Staff Attorney at The Legal Clinic for the Disabled, responds:

The federal Family Medical Leave Act covers employers with 50 or more employees. You may live in a state where a similar state law covers smaller employers. Under the FMLA, you can take up to 12 weeks off. Any paid time off you've accrued will probably be counted in those 12 weeks. That time can be used as a reduced schedule, one day at a time or in one block. If there are less than 50 employees and state law doesn't help, you could ask for time off as an accommodation under the ADA or similar state law.

A great resource for work related issues is Cancer and Careers.

This question and answer was part of the OncoLink Brown Bag Chat Series, Legal & Financial Challenges Facing People with Cancer. View the entire transcript here.