She's having a baby!

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), you must treat maternity leave the same way you do any other temporary medical leave—if you meet the following FMLA requirements:

• The employee has worked for your practice for at least 12 months.

• The employee has worked at least 1,250 hours during the last 12 months.

• Your practice employs 50 or more people.

For most practices, that last requirement kicks you out, says Dr. James Wilson, JD. Still, he says, most small veterinary practices offer their employees six weeks of unpaid leave if they're not covered by the FMLA, and it's not uncommon to offer an additional six weeks if there are any complications.

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Also check to see whether your state has family and medical leave laws and, if so, how they apply to your practice. If both federal and state laws apply, you're required to provide employees the greater benefit of the two.

Once you find out which laws apply to you, Dr. Wilson suggests putting your leave policy in writing. Then stick to it, he says. For more on FMLA, visit www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/