Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Sometimes caregivers and patients only need to leave their jobs for a short period of time. FMLA is a government act that ensures a person’s job will be held for up to 12 weeks during a 12-month period if they must leave work to care for a sick family member due to a serious health condition. However, be aware that employers are not required to continue paying employees during a FMLA. Additionally, not all employees are covered under FMLA; employees and/or employers must meet a certain criteria to be eligible for FMLA benefits.

The United States Department of Labor states that “in order to be eligible to take leave under the FMLA, an employee must (1) work for a covered employer, (2) work 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of leave, (3) work at a location where 50 or more employees work at that location or within 75 miles of it, and (4) have worked for the employer for 12 months.”

FMLA can provide much assistance to a family experiencing a transplant. Unfortunately, FMLA can only be utilized for when a person needs leave from work to care for a spouse, child, or parent. FMLA does not include siblings, extended families, or friends.

For more information on the FMLA eligibility guidelines, you can visit the US Department of Labor website at www.dol.gov.

Job Assistance

For Pennsylvania:

JobGateway is a PA CareerLink service and online tool to help connect job seekers to employers. They have job postings, resources, and more.

For New Jersey:

New Jersey Career Connections offers resources and assistance to a wide variety of service.

For Delaware:

Delaware offers an employment and training program through the Department of Labor.