Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act Summary

• Employees at companies with 16-50 employees receive up to 10 unpaid days of leave while a child is in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); employees at companies with 51+ employees receive up to 20 unpaid days

• Leave may be taken continuously or intermittently in minimum increments of 2 hours, and employees may substitute other paid leave they are entitled to receive

• Upon return from leave, employees must be reinstated to their former or substantially equivalent position with no loss of benefits, and employers must maintain health insurance coverage during the leave period

• Employers are prohibited from taking adverse action against employees for exercising leave rights, opposing violations, or supporting others' rights under this Act

• Violations subject employers to civil penalties up to $5,000 per affected employee, enforced by the Department of Labor; 20% of penalties collected go to a special Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Fund