Is FMLA leave paid or unpaid?

(See 29 CFR § 825.207) (a) Generally, FMLA leave is unpaid. However, under the circumstances described in this section, FMLA permits an eligible employee to choose to substitute paid leave for FMLA leave. If the employee does not choose to substitute accrued paid leave for FMLA leave, the employer may require the employee to substitute accrued paid leave for FMLA leave. (b) Where an employee has earned or accrued paid vacation, personal or family leave, that paid leave may be substituted for all or part of any unpaid FMLA leave relating to birth, placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or care for a spouse, child, parent of the employee or parent of the employee's spouse who has a serious health condition. The term "family leave" as used in FMLA refers to paid leave provided by the employer covering the particular circumstances for which the employee seeks leave for either the birth of a child and to care for such child, placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or care for a spouse, child, parent of the employee or parent of the employee's spouse with a serious health condition. (1) For example, if the employer's leave plan allows use of family leave to care for a child but not for a parent, the employer is not required to allow accrued family leave to be substituted for FMLA leave used to care for a parent. (c) Substitution of paid accrued vacation, personal or medical/sick leave may be made for any unpaid leave needed to care for a family member, or the employee's own serious health condition. Substitution of medical/sick leave may be elected to the extent the circumstances meet the employer's usual requirements for the use of medical/sick leave. An employer is not required to allow substitution of paid sick or medical leave for unpaid FMLA leave "in any situation" where the employer's uniform policy would not normally allow such paid leave. An employee, therefore, has a right to substitute paid medical/sick leave to care for a seriously ill family member only if the employer's leave plan allows paid leave to be used for that purpose. Similarly, an employee does not have the right to substitute paid medical/sick leave for a serious health condition which is not covered by the employer's leave plan. (d) Disability leave for the birth of a child would be considered FMLA leave for a serious health condition and counted in the 16 weeks of leave permitted under FMLA. Because the leave pursuant to a temporary disability benefit plan is not unpaid, the provision for substitution of paid leave is inapplicable. However, the employer may designate the leave as FMLA leave and count the leave as running concurrently for purposes of both the benefits plan and the FMLA leave entitlement. If the requirements to qualify for payments pursuant to the employer's temporary disability plan are more stringent than those of FMLA, the employee shall meet the more stringent requirements of the plan, or may choose not to meet the requirements of the plan and instead receive no payments from the plan and use unpaid FMLA leave or substitute available accrued paid leave. (e) A serious health condition may result from injury to the employee "on or off" the job. Either the employer or the employee may choose to have the employee's FMLA 16 week leave entitlement run concurrently with a workers' compensation absence when the injury is one that meets the criteria for a serious health condition. As the workers' compensation absence is not unpaid leave, the provision for substitution of the employee's accrued paid leave is not applicable. However, if the health care provider treating the employee for the workers' compensation injury certifies the employee is able to return to a "light duty job" but is unable to return to the same or equivalent job, the employee may decline the employer's offer of a "light duty job". As a result the employee may lose workers' compensation payments, but is entitled to remain on unpaid FMLA leave until the 16 week entitlement is exhausted. As of the date workers' compensation benefits cease, the substitution provision becomes applicable and either the employee may elect or the employer may require the use of accrued paid leave. See also sections 31-51qq-25(d), 31-51qq-32(a) and 31-51qq-40 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies regarding the relationship between workers' compensation absences and FMLA leave. (f) Paid vacation or personal leave, including leave earned or accrued under plans allowing "paid time off", may be substituted, at either the employee's or employer's option, for any qualified FMLA leave. No limitations may be placed by the employer on substitution of paid vacation or personal leave for these purposes. (g) If neither the employee nor the employer elects to substitute paid leave for unpaid FMLA leave under the above conditions and circumstances, the employee shall remain entitled to all the paid leave which is earned or accrued under the terms of the employer's plan. (h) If an employee uses paid leave under circumstances which do not qualify as FMLA leave, the leave shall not count against the 16 weeks of FMLA leave to which the employee is entitled. (1) For example, paid sick leave used for a medical condition which is not a serious health condition does not count against the 16 weeks of FMLA leave entitlement. (i) When an employee or employer elects to substitute paid leave (of any type) for unpaid FMLA leave under circumstances permitted by these regulations, and the employer's procedural requirements for taking that kind of leave are less stringent than the requirements of FMLA (e.g., notice or cancellation requirements), only the less stringent requirements may be imposed. An employee who complies with an employer's less stringent leave plan requirements in such cases may not have leave for an FMLA purpose delayed or denied on the grounds that the employee has not complied with stricter requirements of FMLA. However, where accrued paid vacation or personal leave is substituted for unpaid FMLA leave for a serious health condition, an employee may be required to comply with any less stringent medical certification requirements of the employer's sick leave program. (See section 31-51qq-30 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies regarding medical certification.)