Military Clause in State Family Leave Laws

Military families face challenges that civilian leave laws often overlook — such as sudden deployments or activations, long-term care for combat injuries and reintegration stress. Twenty-three states have expanded on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Variations in coverage from state to state can impact mission readiness when service members deploy to combat zones while also worrying about their spouse’s ability to manage family emergencies, activate for state-side missions responding to natural disasters or care for wounded warriors. States that include military exigency clauses in their family leave policies help ease these pressures by allowing spouses to address urgent family needs without risking income or job security.

States that incorporate military exigency provisions into their family leave laws demonstrate a proactive commitment to military readiness and family resilience. These provisions allow military spouses and caregivers to take job-protected, often paid, leave for deployment-related needs — such as arranging child care, attending predeployment briefings or managing reintegration after return.