DOL Clarifies Travel To and From Medical Appointments is FMLA Protected

The Department of Labor (DOL) rang in the new year with some new guidance for employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This time, the DOL addressed whether an employee’s travel to and from medical appointments qualified as FMLA-protected time.

Example Scenario

An employee who works from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day requests time off to take her child—who has an FMLA-qualifying serious health condition—to therapy appointments once a week. The employee...