• the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child;
• care of the employee's spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition;
• serious health conditions of the employee, which make the employee unable to perform any one or more of the essential functions of his/her position.
   

FMLA is not an additional type of leave, but provides employees with certain rights or protections while taking leave for a qualifying reason. To be covered by FMLA, an employee must have worked for the City for at least twelve (12) months (need not be consecutive months) and for at least 1,250 hours over the previous twelve (12) months.
 
While on leave covered by FMLA, City employees are required to use applicable paid and unpaid leave in accordance with the provisions of relevant leave policies. Not all leave covered by FMLA is paid leave. City policy places limitations on the amount of paid medical leave that can be used due to the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child, and supervisors have the discretion to place limitations on the amount of paid medical leave which can be used for qualifying family medical purposes.
 
As with any other leave, leave covered by FMLA must be requested and approved in advance, whenever possible, and in accordance with applicable policies. However, leave covered by FMLA which has been appropriately requested cannot be denied.