How do I request Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave for diabetes?

Once you notify your employer about your request to take Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, your employer will give you paperwork that you and your doctor or your family member's doctor must complete. Your employer must give you 15 days to complete the paperwork. The doctor must provide specific information explaining why you need to take leave for your own or a family member's diabetes. The doctor must also state how long this need for leave will last. Saying that you or your family member has diabetes and that you may need time off is not enough to qualify for FMLA leave. The doctor may have to specify, for example, that diabetes requires regular doctor visits to monitor your diabetes care, adjust medication, and check for complications. Your doctor may also need to state that it will be medically necessary to take extended time off for surgery or to take shorter leave to treat hypoglycemia. Once you turn in all the paperwork, your employer generally will have to tell you within 5 days whether you qualify to take the requested FMLA leave.