Thanks so much for your question. It is important to determine first whether your company is covered under the FMLA. Only employers with more than 50 employees living within a 75 mile radius must offer FMLA. Second, it is critical to determine whether your employees are eligible. To be eligible for FMLA, employees must have worked for a covered employer for the previous year and for at least 1,250 hours. For more information about the FMLA, please see: http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/new/encyclopedia_template.php?id=234&topic=7&linktype=encyc&area=All .

Still, in the event that your business is not covered under the FMLA, there are sound business reasons to provide leave to your employees on a voluntary basis. Employers who provide leave often find that they have reduced turnover, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and increased employee loyalty. For more information, please see: http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/pdfs/minib_smallbusiness.pdf and http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/pdfs/policy_makers13.pdf .