The FMLA calculator works out when a block of Family and Medical Leave Act leave ends, the first scheduled workday back, the leave in hours and how much of the entitlement is left. Eligible employees can take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for qualifying reasons, or 26 workweeks to care for a covered servicemember (29 CFR 825.200).
Thursday, February 18, 2027 (last day of leave)
- First scheduled workday back
- Friday, February 19, 2027
- This leave in hours
- 480
- Entitlement in hours
- 480
- Left in the 12-month period
- 0 weeks (0 hours)
- Federal holidays on workdays during the leave
- Christmas Day (December 25, 2026); New Year’s Day (January 1, 2027); Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18, 2027); Presidents’ Day (February 15, 2027)
12 weeks of continuous leave starting Friday, November 27, 2026 ends on Thursday, February 18, 2027; the first scheduled workday back is Friday, February 19, 2027.
How it’s calculated
Continuous leave ends weeks × 7 calendar days after it starts, minus one day; the return date is the next day on your schedule that is not a federal holiday. In hours, leave = weeks × your usual weekly hours, which is how intermittent or reduced-schedule leave is counted against the entitlement.
A holiday that falls in a week of full-time FMLA leave counts as leave; when leave is taken in shorter pieces, a holiday the employee would not have worked does not, unless the employee was scheduled to work. Check the holiday list above against your schedule (29 CFR 825.200(h)).
Worked example with your numbers
- Leave length: 12 weeks × 7 = 84 calendar days.
- Last day of leave: November 27, 2026 + 84 − 1 day = February 18, 2027.
- In hours: 12 weeks × 40 hours a week = 480 hours of FMLA leave.
- Left in the 12-month period: 12 − 0 used − 12 now = 0 weeks.
This calculator does not decide eligibility. FMLA applies to covered employers and to employees who have worked there at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the past 12 months at a site with 50 or more employees within 75 miles (29 CFR 825.110). Your employer or the U.S. Department of Labor can confirm.
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Calendar year | January 1 to December 31. Leave resets every January. |
| Fixed 12-month “leave year” | Any fixed year the employer chooses, such as a fiscal year or the employee’s anniversary year. |
| Forward from first use | 12 months measured forward from the first day the employee takes FMLA leave; the next period starts with the first leave after that. |
| Rolling backward | Each time leave is taken, look back 12 months from that date and subtract the leave already used in that window. |
Who can take FMLA leave
- Your employer is covered: private employers with 50 or more employees, and public agencies and schools.
- You have worked there at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave.
- You work at a location where the employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles.
- The reason qualifies: a new child, your own serious health condition, caring for a spouse, child or parent with one, or qualifying military reasons.
Source: 29 CFR 825.110 and the Department of Labor’s FMLA pages, linked below the calculator. This page explains the rules; it does not decide eligibility.
Leave in hours and intermittent leave
FMLA leave can be taken all at once or in separate blocks or a reduced schedule when medically necessary. It is counted against the entitlement in hours: 12 weeks × your usual weekly hours. For someone who works 40 hours a week that is 480 hours; for 30 hours a week, 360 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How many weeks of FMLA leave can I take?
Up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period, or up to 26 workweeks in a single 12-month period for military caregiver leave (29 CFR 825.200).
Is FMLA leave paid?
No, FMLA leave is unpaid. You may choose — or your employer may require you — to use accrued paid leave at the same time, and some states have paid family leave programs.
How is the 12-month period measured?
The employer chooses one of four methods: calendar year, a fixed leave year, 12 months forward from first use, or a rolling 12 months backward. See the table on this page.
Do holidays count against FMLA leave?
A holiday in a full week of FMLA leave counts as leave. When leave is less than a full week, a holiday counts only if you were scheduled to work it (29 CFR 825.200(h)).
Does my health insurance continue during FMLA leave?
Yes. The employer must keep group health coverage on the same terms as if you were working (29 CFR 825.209).