While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and similar states laws provide employees with time off to care for a new child or sick family member, the leave is typically unpaid. (To learn more about unpaid family leave, see Taking Family and Medical Leave.) And although some employers voluntarily provide paid time off for parenting and caregiving, most do not.
To address this gap in family leave law, five states—California, Rhode Island, Washington, New Jersey, and New York—and the District of Columbia have laws that provide paid family leave for employees who need time off to care for sick or disabled family members or a new child. Payments are less than the employee's usual salary and come from a state insurance fund, not directly from employers.
California was the first state in the country to pass a paid family leave law.
Since 2009, New Jersey has provided employees with partial pay while they take time off to bond with a new child or care for an ill family member.
Am I eligible for a bonus while I'm on FMLA leave?
Question: My employer offers annual bonuses to employees who meet certain work goals.