FMLA Timeline & 12-Week Rolling Period Calculator
Combine the employer's confirmed FMLA balance method with notice, certification, return-to-work and benefits checkpoints on one timeline. Inputs stay in your browser.
The balance is measured in hours so intermittent leave can be included. The employer's designated 12-month method and leave ledger control the calculation. Review note: Confirm the employer's FMLA measurement method.
Context matters.
- Federal eligibility can depend on employer coverage, 12 months of service, 1,250 hours worked and 50 employees within 75 miles, with public-agency and school rules.
- If an employer has not selected a valid method, DOL says the method most beneficial to the employee may apply; employers generally must give notice before changing methods.
- Military caregiver leave uses a separate single 12-month period and up to 26 workweeks, so this 12-workweek balance is intentionally not applied.
- A fitness-for-duty certification may be required only under the applicable notice and policy conditions. State or local law and collective bargaining rules can be more protective.
- If an employee does not return, federal law includes exceptions to employer premium recovery; possible COBRA coverage is a separate plan-specific review.
Sources & scope
The calculation guide and this source trail show what the result means, where the rule came from and when it was last reviewed. This is source-and-calculation QA, not a claim of medical, legal, tax or other professional review; time-sensitive decisions still belong with the linked authority.
A visible path from input to answer.
Combine the employer's confirmed FMLA balance method with notice, certification, return-to-work and benefits checkpoints on one timeline. The page keeps the calculation scope and its limits beside the result so the output can be checked, copied or revisited.
- Read the record. The calculator uses Proposed leave date, When did the need for leave become known?, Employee notice status, Notice provided to employer and Leave entitlement being checked and 12 additional fields supplied in the form.
- Apply the scope. It applies the United States federal FMLA balance planning — employer coverage, eligibility, designated 12-month method and leave ledger control reference and the explicit date, unit and counting conventions shown in the result.
- Expose the checkpoints. Intermediate rows, warnings and timeline events stay visible; the emphasized row identifies the primary checkpoint when one exists.
The balance is measured in hours so intermittent leave can be included. The employer's designated 12-month method and leave ledger control the calculation. Review note: Confirm the employer's FMLA measurement method.
- Applicable 12-month periodAug 31, 2025 – Aug 30, 2026
Calculation purpose: Combine the employer's confirmed FMLA balance method with notice, certification, return-to-work and benefits checkpoints on one timeline. This is a high-sensitivity reference output; the linked authority or qualified professional controls the final decision.
Calendar inputs use plain year-month-day semantics. Leap days, month ends, date-pair order and unsupported dates are checked before the result is shown.
Rule set 2.0.0 · Last reviewed 2026-08-28 · Next review due 2027-02-28. The source panel below contains the linked evidence.
What to know before using the result.
Why does the calculator ask for the employer's 12-month method?
DOL permits calendar-year, fixed-year, forward and rolling-backward methods. The same leave history can produce a different balance under each method.
Why is the balance shown in hours?
Intermittent or reduced-schedule leave is often recorded in hours. Multiplying the normal workweek by 12 makes the entered employer ledger directly comparable.
Does an available balance prove I am eligible for FMLA leave?
No. Employer coverage, months of service, hours worked, the 50-within-75-miles test, a qualifying reason and required certification can still control.
What timeline checkpoints does this page show?
When the inputs apply, it shows the foreseeable-leave notice point, the employer's certification-response checkpoint, planned return date, any properly required fitness-for-duty step and a benefits or premium review reminder.