The passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in 1993 marked the beginning of mandatory leave in American workplaces. Prior to that, whether leave for any purpose was granted to an employee was entirely at the employer’s discretion.
The FMLA, which applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for certain specified purposes.