A federal law, enacted in 1993, that requires large employers to grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to long-standing employees for compelling medical or family reasons. Reasons include care of spouse, child, or parent of employee who has a serious health problem; birth of child of employee and care of the child; adoption or foster care-placement of a child with employee; and serious employee health problems that do not allow person to perform essential functions of job position.