The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), enacted in 1993, provides U.S. employees with a number of rights related to leave from work.  These include the right to reasonable unpaid family and temporary medical leave, health insurance coverage while on leave, and reinstatement to their previous job at the end of the leave under certain circumstances.

In 2005, more than six million workers took a temporary leave of work under the FMLA, yet there is little information on the impact of FMLA on employees and employers.   To fill this knowledge gap, Abt Associates is designing and fielding employee and employer surveys on FMLA leave-taking for the Department of Labor (DOL). The nationally representative surveys include telephone interviews with 3,000 employees to explore their use of FMLA policies and telephone interviews with 1,800 employers to better understand their FMLA practices.  Abt is also addressing recent regulatory changes to estimate their effect on employee and employer behavior.  Insights drawn from the study will support DOL in shaping future regulatory options, crafting interpretive guidance, developing compliance programs, and evaluating employer compliance with FMLA regulations.