Leaves of absence can be granted for a variety of reasons, such as personal or family illness, pregnancy, or military service. Several federal laws must be taken into account when an employer is designing a leave policy or processing a leave request. These include the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Military Selective Service Act, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and workers' compensation laws. Many states also have their own family leave, disability, workers' compensation, and other laws that can affect the availability of leave and/or its terms. In addition, if employees are unionized, leaves may be regulated by a collective bargaining agreement.
