825.202 - How much leave may a husband and wife take if they are employed by the same employer?


(a) A husband and wife who are eligible for FMLA leave and are employed by the same covered employer are permitted to take only a combined total of 12 weeks of leave during any 12-month period if the leave is taken:
(1) For birth of a son or daughter or to care for the child after birth;
(2) For placement of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care, or to care for the child after placement; or
(3) To care for a parent (but not a parent ``in-law'') with a serious health condition.
(b) This limitation on the total weeks of leave applies as long as a husband and wife are employed by the ``same employer.'' It would apply, for example, even though the spouses are employed at two different worksites of an employer located more than 75 miles from each other, or by two different operating divisions of the same company. On the other hand, if one spouse is ineligible for FMLA leave, the other spouse would be entitled to a full 12 weeks of FMLA leave.
(c) Where the husband and wife both use a portion of the total 12-week FMLA leave entitlement for one of the purposes in paragraph (a) of this section, the husband and wife would each be entitled to the difference between the amount he or she has taken individually and 12 weeks for FMLA leave for a purpose other than those contained in paragraph (a) of this section. For example, if each spouse took 6 weeks of leave for the birth of a child, each could later use an additional 6 weeks due to a personal illness or to care for a sick child.