A Complete Guide to Amazon FMLA Policy

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) enables employees to have more control of their work-life balance. Even though the official requirements of FMLA are pretty favorable, Amazon has gone beyond and offered more benefits to its employees.

Amazon gives a comprehensive list of benefits to its employees. Such benefits include health care coverage, paid college tuition, and starting-wage double the minimum wage. One of the more intriguing benefits is the FMLA policy, which most employees find very convenient.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) enables employees to have more control over their work-life balance. It provides eligible employees with 12 weeks of unpaid leave. The employee’s position must also be protected while on leave. The leave allows the employees to cater to personal issues such as the birth or adoption of a child, looking after a critically ill family member, or taking medical leave due to a severe condition.

Even though the official requirements of FMLA are pretty favorable, Amazon has gone beyond and offered more benefits to its employees. If you are interested in learning more, keep reading.

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What Is Amazon's FMLA Policy?

If you are a new expectant parent working at Amazon, you will find Amazon’s parental leave policy quite convenient. At Amazon, expectant mothers get 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. Four of the 20 weeks are for the prepartum leave. Additionally, they get 16 weeks off after the child is born. The fathers, however, get six weeks of paid non-birth parental leave. This is the case even though the partner is not an Amazon employee.

Unlike previous policies that Amazon had enacted, the current FMLA policy benefits all full-time employees regardless of whether they are hourly. This means hourly warehouse workers get the same parental leave benefits as co-operate workers such as the executives.

The FMLA policy at Amazon is designed to benefit both partners. One of the ways in which this is portrayed is through the “Leave Share” program. Amazon’s “Leave Share” program differentiates Amazon’s parental leave policy from others. The program enables partners to share their parental leave with their partners.

The program is especially beneficial to workers whose partners are not offered a paid parental leave by their employer. An important thing to note is that, while sharing the leave, Amazon will pay the employee's partner even if the partner is not an Amazon employee.

Amazon’s parental leave policy also applies to workers who have adopted a child.

Does Amazon Offer Paid FMLA?

While on an FMLA leave, Amazon gives employees ten weeks of paid time off. Employees also get four weeks of prepartum leave and six weeks of parental leave. The total time off, therefore, is 20 weeks. However, Amazon only offers to pay for ten weeks after the child's birth. Employees who need more time off would consequently go on without additional pay. Employees are also free to choose how to use their time off. They can choose to spend it all at once or distribute it in parts.

How Long Do You Have To Work At Amazon To Qualify For Parental Leave?

According to Amazon’s FMLA policy, employees must have worked for a minimum of 1250 hours to qualify for the leave. The hours, however, depend on the employee's specific location of work. Some areas may require the employee to have worked for an entire year to qualify. Other factors such as the employee's position also affect the hours needed.

How Long Is The FMLA Leave At Amazon?

The total time off given for FMLA leave at Amazon is 20 weeks. The time off comprises four weeks of prepartum leave, six weeks of postpartum leave, and ten weeks of parental leave. Employees have the flexibility of choosing how to spend their time off. They can choose to take it all at once or in parts. This helps the employee take their time off more conveniently in a way that will not affect their finances. Employees can discuss with their managers how to split up their time as certain divisions have specific policies on time off.

What Family Members At Amazon Are Entitled To FMLA Leave?

According to Amazon’s FMLA policy, all close family members living together with expectant parents are eligible for the leave. This includes the father, mother, or children. Grandparents who live in the same house as the expectant parent also qualify for the leave.

However, it should be noted that “in-law” family members are not eligible for an FMLA leave. Moreover, the FMLA policy at Amazon only considers children under 18. Therefore employees can not take an FMLA leave to look after their child unless the child is under 18 or is “incapable of self-care” due to physical or mental inability.

Does The Law Require Amazon To Give Paid FMLA Leave To Employees?

The law does not require Amazon to offer a paid FMLA leave to its workers. What the law requires, however, is that Amazon provides its employees with a minimum of 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Nevertheless, Amazon goes beyond the law requirements and offers 20 weeks of paid leave for expectant parents.

Does Adoptive Parents Qualify For The FMLA Leave At Amazon?

Yes, adoptive parents are also eligible for FMLA leave. Additionally, the adopted child does not have to be an infant. The time off given to adoptive parents is used to settle the child at home, embracing the child to the new environment.

Bottom Line

Amazon FMLA policy is designed to benefit both partners. The policy offers the employees four weeks of prepartum maternity leave and ten weeks of postpartum leave. Supporting and adoptive parents get six weeks of parental leave. To qualify for the leave, the employee must have one year of continuous service and regularly work at least 30 hours per week before the child is born. Amazon considers close family members such as parents and children, eligible to take an FMLA leave.

However, it should be noted that children must be under the age of 18 for one to take an FMLA leave. Otherwise, the child must be incapable of self-care either due to mental or physical disability for one to take an FMLA leave. Even though Amazon is not required by law to offer a paid FMLA leave, Amazon offers 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave for supporting parents and adoptive parents.