Employees may use intermittent FMLA leave for travel time to and from a medical appointment as well as for the medical appointment itself, according to an opinion letter from the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. FMLA2026-2 confirms that covered workers may use leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act not only for the time they spend in medical appointments, but also for time they spend traveling to and from those appointments for their own or a qualifying family member’s serious health condition.

WHD said travel time is “part and parcel” of receiving medical care even if the medical certification does not address travel time. There is no time limit, so employees may use as much available FMLA leave as they need, WHD said. Time spent on unrelated activities, such as errands, does not qualify.

Employers should ensure that their policies and practices allow eligible employees to use FMLA leave for necessary travel to and from medical appointments. Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association, can read more here. For additional guidance, CWC members may review CWC’s FMLA Compliance Outline.