Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

DC Paid Parental Family and Medical Leave

As a District of Columbia employer, Howard University is subject to the DC Paid Family Leave law, which provides covered employees with paid time off from work for qualifying family, medical, and prenatal events. For more information about the Paid Family Leave program, please visit the D.C. Office of Paid Family Leave’s website at dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov.  


There are four (4) kinds of Paid Family Leave benefits

  1. Parental Leave – Benefits to bond with a new child for up to 12 weeks in a year; 
  1. Family Leave – Benefits to care for a family member for up to 12 weeks in a year; 
  1. Medical Leave – Benefits for your own serious health condition for up to 12 weeks in a year; 
  1. Prenatal Leave – Benefits for prenatal medical care for up to 2 weeks in a year. 


Each kind of leave has its own eligibility rules and limit on the length of time you can receive benefits in a year. The maximum amount of leave for any combination of parental, family, and medical leave is 12 weeks. However, there is an exception for pregnant women who take prenatal leave. Pregnant women are eligible for 2 weeks of prenatal leave and 12 weeks of parental leave while pregnant, for a maximum of 14 weeks. 


APPLYING FOR BENEFITS: If you have experienced an event that may qualify for benefits, be sure to apply no more than 30 days after your event. You can learn more about applying for benefits with the DC Office of Paid Leave at dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov. 

Paid Family Leave benefits are based on the wages your employer paid to you and reported to the Department of Employment Services. The current maximum weekly benefit amount is $1,118.

Please note that the Office of Paid Leave does not administer any job protections for DC workers who take leave from work. However, some job protections may be available under laws and regulations administered by the DC Office of Human Rights (DCOHR). Retaliation by an employer for requesting, applying for, or using paid-leave benefits is prohibited. Employees have the right to file a complaint with DCOHR if they feel they have been retaliated against for requesting, applying for, or using paid leave. 

For additional information, contact the Howard University Office of Human Resources at (202) 806-1280 or HULeave@howard.edu.