District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave
Under the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act, employers with 20 or more employees are required to provide employees up to 16 weeks’ family leave and 16 weeks’ medical leave in a 24-month period. Family leave may be taken for any of the following reasons:
- the birth of a child of the employee;
- the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care;
- the placement of a child with the employee for whom the employee permanently assumes and discharges parental responsibility; or
- the care of a family member of the employee who has a serious health condition.
Family member is defined as “(a) a person to whom the employee is related by blood, legal custody, or marriage; (b) a child who lives with an employee and for whom the employee permanently assumes and discharges parental responsibility; or (c) a person with whom the employee shares or has shared, within the last year, a mutual residence and with whom the employee maintains a committed relationship.”
Medical leave may be taken when an employee becomes unable to perform the functions of the employee’s position because of a serious health condition. Both family and medical leave may be taken in blocks of time, intermittently, and under certain circumstances, at a reduced schedule. Employers may require a certification issued by the health care provider of the employee or family member when requesting leave.
Violation of the leave provision could result in a civil penalty of $1000 per offense.
Posting Requirement
All District of Columbia employers with 20 or more employees are required to display the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act Poster in a conspicuous place. (DC Code § 32-511) Any employer who fails to post notice may be ordered to pay a fine not to exceed $100 for each day the employer fails to display the poster.
Employers displaying the District of Columbia All-On-One do not need to display this poster. Employers comply with the posting requirement by displaying the District of Columbia Equal Employment Opportunity posting.