An employee’s total hours of leave are based on their “typical workweek hours.” This is the average number of hours worked per week during the qualifying period. Salaried, full-time employees are always calculated at 40 hours per week.
Typical workweek hours are multiplied by the maximum number of weeks approved for that type of leave, creating a bank of hours the employee can draw from while on leave. For example, if an employee’s typical workweek hours are 35, they will be eligible for 12 times that amount in total paid leave.
Employees may take their approved leave in full weeks or intermittently as needed. They are approved for a limited number of hours of leave that they may exhaust before their approved leave end date (depending on how they use the leave). Once their leave is exhausted, the job protection rights under Paid Family and Medical Leave are also exhausted.
If the employee uses all of their Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits, they must wait until the claim year expires to apply for benefits again.