FMLA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield FMLA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. An employer is covered by both federal FMLA and a state military family leave law providing 8 additional weeks of qualifying exigency leave. Which law governs? → Both laws apply; employees receive the greater protection of each
2. Are employees required to provide notice before taking FMLA leave? → Yes, 30 days if foreseeable
3. How should employers treat overlapping federal and state leave? → Apply both laws together
4. What is the triple constraint in FMLA project management? → The interdependent relationship between scope, time, and cost
5. What is evidence-based practice in FMLA Infection Control & Prevention? → Integrating research evidence with expertise and client needs
6. Can an employee use paid leave during FMLA leave? → Yes, if the employer permits
7. What should a FMLA professional do upon discovering a colleague's unethical conduct? → Report through appropriate channels with proper documentation
8. What type of documentation may be required to support FMLA leave? → Medical certification
9. Which of the following is sufficient notice for an employee to trigger the employer's FMLA obligations? → Calling in to say you have back surgery next week and will be out for at least two weeks
10. Which benefit may an employer lawfully cease accruing while an employee is on unpaid FMLA leave? → Vacation time that accrues only during active work hours
11. Can FMLA leave run concurrently with other paid leave? → Yes, concurrently with paid leave
12. What does the FMLA professional standard of documentation accuracy require when tracking intermittent leave? → Accurately recording each qualifying intermittent absence on the day it occurs
13. Which agency within the Department of Labor primarily enforces the health benefit continuation requirements under FMLA? → The Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
14. A 'key employee' under FMLA is defined as a salaried, FMLA-eligible employee who ranks among the top what percentage of the employer's workforce by pay? → 10%
15. What role do standard operating procedures play in FMLA Patient Assessment & Evaluation? → Ensuring consistency and quality through documented instructions
16. What is evidence-based practice in FMLA Pharmacology & Medication Management? → Integrating research evidence with expertise and client needs
17. Under FMLA, for how long must an employer maintain group health insurance coverage for an employee on approved FMLA leave? → For the entire duration of the FMLA leave period
18. What action must be taken if an employee fails to return medical certification? → Deny or delay the leave
19. What is the hierarchy of controls in FMLA risk management? → Elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, then PPE
20. What is the first step in FMLA risk assessment? → Identifying potential hazards and threats
21. Which family members are covered under the FMLA qualifying exigency provision (not caregiver leave)? → Spouse, son or daughter, or parent who is a covered military member
22. FMLA qualifying exigency leave may be designated for which of the following situations? → Short-notice deployment of a covered military member
23. What is a risk matrix used for in FMLA practice? → Evaluating risks by plotting likelihood against impact severity
24. An employer requires employees to provide advance notice of return from FMLA leave. For foreseeable leave, how much advance notice may an employer require? → 2 business days
25. An employee returning from FMLA leave refuses to provide a fitness-for-duty certification that the employer properly required. What may the employer do? → Deny job restoration until the certification is provided
26. A natural disaster destroys an employer's FMLA records. What is the employer's obligation? → The employer must reconstruct records to the extent possible and document the disaster
27. What is a FMLA professional's obligation regarding confidentiality? → Protecting client information and disclosing only with authorization or legal requirement
28. What obligation does an FMLA administrator have when they realize they made an error in calculating an employee's remaining FMLA entitlement? → Notify the employee promptly, correct the record, and restore any leave improperly denied
29. Which of the following conditions does NOT meet the FMLA definition of a serious health condition? → A common cold with one doctor visit and one day off work
30. Which right is protected by FMLA for eligible employees? → Job restoration