Federal law entitles you to 12 weeks of maternity leave. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees of covered employers to leave for specific family or medical reasons. This federal law provides eligible employees unpaid, job-protected leave for up to 12 weeks. Under the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA), eligible employees may also take up to 12 weeks additional leave after their child is born to take care of the newborn child. Employees with newborn children may combine the 12 weeks of leave under the FMLA and the 12 weeks of leave under the NJFLA for a total of 24 weeks of leave to care for their newborn.