DCFMLA question

[Anonymous]

DCFMLA gives you up to 16 weeks of job-protected leave for the birth of a child "within a 24 month period". 12 of those weeks can be paid under DC Paid family leave, which is a separate thing that runs concurrently.

If I had a baby on 2/15/24 and am due around 2/15/26, does this mean:

If the baby is born on or after 2/15/26, it's been 24 months so I get another leave period of up to 16 weeks...

But..

If the new baby is born a day early and it then has not been a full 24 months since the last birth, I get no protected leave at all?

Is that correct?

[Anonymous]

You have 16 weeks of medical leave and 16 weeks of bonding leave every 24 months. If you took 16 weeks previously then you still have time to use before you hit the 24-month reset. Generally medical leave is for 6-8 weeks post birth.

[Anonymous]

The employer gets to define how the 24 month period is computed. See page 7 here: https://ohr.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ohr/DC%20FMLA%20FAQ_English_9.10.2024.pdf

Once that 24 month period is up, all the leave weeks get reset. If you had your baby one day prior to the 24 month period ending, you may have to take PTO or you may use "leftover" medical leave from your prior baby as the poster said above. Then the next day when it's been 24 months + 1 day, the 16 weeks medical and 16 weeks bonding would reset.