Is your Leave going to exceed the 12 weeks provided by FMLA? You could still be protected under the ADA.

It is common scenario where an employee’s leave of absence for a serious medical condition exceeds the 12 weeks provided for by the Family Medical Leave Act. So what can an employee do in this situation? An employee can request an extended leave of absence as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Remember: it is the employees burden to request a reasonable accommodation). This request then shifts the burden to the employer to show that an extended leave would cause “undue hardship.” Read the full article on Extended Leave under the FMLA and ADA.

For more information on the ADA, reasonable accommodations, and what constitutes undue hardship, check out the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ADA fact sheet.