FMLA & ADA Lawyer in Bingham Farms, Michigan

Here’s how to do it the right way: Notify your employer as early as possible — Ideally 30 days in advance if it’s foreseeable (like surgery or a due date). Submit a formal request — Follow your company’s policy (they may have a specific form). Provide medical certification — Your doctor will likely need to fill out paperwork confirming the condition qualifies under FMLA. Stay in communication — Especially if your return date changes or you need intermittent leave. Your employer must give you a Notice of Eligibility and your FMLA rights—so if that doesn’t happen, something may be wrong.

The FMLA is a federal law passed in 1993 that allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for family or medical reasons. The goal? To balance work and family responsibilities without forcing you to choose between your paycheck and your health—or your family’s well-being. In Michigan, FMLA rights are often paired with state laws or employer policies, so it’s important to check what additional protections you might have too.

FMLA leave isn’t just for personal illness—it covers several important life events: Birth of a child and bonding time after childbirth (for moms and dads). Adoption or foster care placement of a child. Serious health condition — if it prevents you from working or if you need to care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious condition. Military family leave — to care for a service member or handle qualifying exigencies when a loved one is deployed. It must be a serious medical condition—think hospitalizations, chronic illnesses, or conditions requiring ongoing treatment.

To qualify for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leave, you must meet a few key requirements: Your employer must be covered — Typically, this means they have 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius. You must have worked there for at least 12 months — These don’t need to be consecutive months. You must have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months immediately before your leave — That’s roughly 24 hours per week. Example: If you work full-time at a large healthcare system in Michigan and have been there over a year, you’re probably covered.

Great question—these are two separate but often linked violations: FMLA interference happens when your employer denies, discourages, or interferes with your right to take leave (like denying leave for a serious health condition or making you work while on leave). FMLA retaliation occurs after you’ve taken or requested leave and your employer punishes you for it (like firing, demoting, or reducing your hours). In Michigan, you're protected under the federal FMLA and also under state laws that may support medical leave or disability accommodation. If you suspect either interference or retaliation, you have a right to legal action.

That’s a red flag. Employers must consider reasonable accommodations that allow you to perform essential functions.

Often yes—especially short, fixed periods or intermittent time off tied to treatment

Usually HR needs functional limitations, not your full diagnosis. We’ll help tailor documentation to what the law requires.

No. Neutral attendance policies cannot penalize FMLA‑protected time off.

If your employer is covered and you’ve worked at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the last 12 months, likely yes. We’ll confirm and map the cleanest path.