Glossary Terms Beginning with F
Definitions for words starting with F are listed on this page. Take the link above or scroll down to the glossary term.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Definition
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave.
FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. It also seeks to accommodate the legitimate interests of employers and promote equal employment opportunity for men and women.
FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for any of the following reasons:
For the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee
For placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care
To care for an immediate family member (i.e., spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition
To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition
Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Whether an employee has worked the minimum 1250 hours of service is determined according to Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) principles for determining compensable hours or work.
Time taken off work due to pregnancy complications can be counted against the 12 weeks of family and medical leave.
Family Definition
A family means any of the following individuals living in the same home with:
A head of household caretaker relative:
A dependent child
Parent or parents of the dependent child
Spouse of the parent or parents of the dependent child
Spouse of the head of household caretaker relative
Minor siblings of the dependent child
Minor children of the head of household caretaker relative
Minor children of the spouse of the head of household caretaker relative
An unwed minor parent requesting CA:
The minor parent or parents
The minor parents' child
The minor parent's adult caretaker relative
The spouse of the minor parent's adult caretaker relative
The minor parent's minor siblings or step-siblings
The minor children of the adult caretaker relative
The minor children of the spouse of the adult caretaker relative
Federal Means Tested Public Benefits Definition
Public assistance benefits funded by the federal government that require the participant to meet certain income and resource eligibility standards. Examples of federal means tested public benefits include, and are not limited to, all of the following:
Cash Assistance (CA)
Nutrition Assistance (NA)
Title XIX MA categories not including Emergency Services (ES)
All of the following are not considered Federal Means Tested Public Benefits when counting 40 Quarters:
Adoption Assistance
Educational Assistance
Foster Care
School Lunch Programs
SSI
WIC Program
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Definition
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). FNS maintains the federal regulations for the NA Program.
The NA QC Review Handbook (FNS-310) is available on the USDA FNS website. See FNS Address for the Internet address, and the regional and national address for USDA FNS
Foster Care Definition
Substitute care for children in any of the following situations:
Nonparent relative placements
Foster family homes
Group care
Residential treatment
FTI-Security Incident Definition
Known or suspected violations of security or confidentiality. This includes both DES and non-DES users. (See FTI Report)
Full Month Income Definition
When a paycheck is received on or anticipated for all regularly scheduled pay dates during the calendar month, it is considered a full month of income.
For more information on how to budget income when less than a full month of income is received, see Actual Income.