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. A retail company has 48 employees at its headquarters and 2 employees at a satellite location 30 miles away. Are the satellite employees eligible for FMLA? → No, because their worksite has fewer than 50 employees and no 50+ worksite within 75 miles
2. 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
3. Are employees required to provide notice before taking FMLA leave? → Yes, 30 days if foreseeable
4. How soon must an employee provide medical certification after an employer's request? → 15 calendar days
5. A 17-year-old employee who works part-time after school requests FMLA leave. The employer has 75 employees at the worksite. Is the employee eligible? → Only if they have worked 1,250 hours in the past 12 months and meet the tenure requirement
6. How should employers treat overlapping federal and state leave? → Apply both laws together
7. What is the triple constraint in FMLA project management? → The interdependent relationship between scope, time, and cost
8. An employee's physician certifies a treatment protocol but does not specify the frequency of absences. What should the employer do? → Ask the employee to obtain a clarification of the treatment frequency from the provider
9. What is evidence-based practice in FMLA Infection Control & Prevention? → Integrating research evidence with expertise and client needs
10. Can an employee use paid leave during FMLA leave? → Yes, if the employer permits
11. What should a FMLA professional do upon discovering a colleague's unethical conduct? → Report through appropriate channels with proper documentation
12. What type of documentation may be required to support FMLA leave? → Medical certification
13. 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
14. Under the FMLA's '12-month period' rules, which method locks in the same 12-month window for all employees across the organization? → Fixed calendar year method
15. 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
16. Can FMLA leave run concurrently with other paid leave? → Yes, concurrently with paid leave
17. 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
18. Which of the following correctly describes a 'covered employer' under the FMLA for private-sector entities? → Any private employer with at least 50 employees within 75 miles for 20 or more workweeks
19. Under FMLA, what notice must an employee provide for foreseeable leave based on planned medical treatment? → At least 30 days' advance notice when practicable
20. Which agency within the Department of Labor primarily enforces the health benefit continuation requirements under FMLA? → The Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
21. 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%
22. What role do standard operating procedures play in FMLA Patient Assessment & Evaluation? → Ensuring consistency and quality through documented instructions
23. What is evidence-based practice in FMLA Pharmacology & Medication Management? → Integrating research evidence with expertise and client needs
24. 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
25. What action must be taken if an employee fails to return medical certification? → Deny or delay the leave
26. What is the hierarchy of controls in FMLA risk management? → Elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, then PPE
27. What is the first step in FMLA risk assessment? → Identifying potential hazards and threats
28. 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
29. FMLA qualifying exigency leave may be designated for which of the following situations? → Short-notice deployment of a covered military member
30. An employee was hired on January 1 and works 32 hours per week. On December 1 of the same year, she requests FMLA leave. Is she eligible? → No, because she has not yet completed 12 months of employment