A leave of absence is a period of time that employees can spend away from their normally scheduled work without jeopardizing their job status. Often abbreviated as one word ""vacation,"" leaves of absence fall into several categories.

Examples of Mandatory Leaves of Absence

In some circumstances, employers are required to provide employees with a leave of absence. In the United States, there are several situations in which leave is required by law. These include the following:

• Medical conditions covered in the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993  (FMLA) 
•  Leave is necessary to afford reasonable accommodations to employees covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Legal Summons for Jury Duty
• State-Mandated Holiday Scenarios
• Leave from military duty

Examples of Voluntary Leaves of Absence

Depending on the mandatory leave, employers may create policies for voluntary leave. These policies may also determine whether employees will receive compensation for their leave. Voluntary leave includes the following categories:

• Paid Leave (PTO)
• sick leave
• Additional maternity leave (after mandatory FMLA leave)
• paternity leave
• bereavement leave
• compensatory off

Paid vs. Unpaid Leave of Absence

Each leave of absence has another classification:

• Paid leave, where the employer provides compensation as if the employee was working during that period
• Unpaid leave, in which employees are not required to report to work, and do not receive any remuneration from the employer for that period.

When is an employer required to pay for a leave of absence?

The rules for paid and unpaid leave are almost entirely up to the discretion of the employer. While many forms of leave mandate the employer to keep the employee's position available until the end of the specified period, there are fewer rules about whether or not an employer must pay employees their normal compensation during a leave of absence.

Each U.S. state has laws that shape paid leave policies, including whether accrued leave will count as pay, whether employers can implement a use it or lose it policy, and whether employers are required to convert unused vacation hours into monetary compensation in the event an employee separates from the employer.

Involuntary Absence Leave Scenario

In the case of an investigation into an employee's alleged wrongdoing, it may be very difficult or complicated to keep the employee on the job normally. As a result, the employer may ask the employee(s) to take involuntary leave so that the investigation can reach a clear conclusion.