Ohio Civil Rights Act

Ohio does not have a state-level family or medical leave law that supplements the federal FMLA. For most employees, the right to unpaid, job-protected leave for serious health conditions or caregiving relies entirely on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. To qualify, you must work for an employer with 50+ employees and have worked there for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours.

Ohio provides significantly broader anti-discrimination protection through the Ohio Civil Rights Act (Chapter 4112). The law covers employers with just 4 or more employees, well below the federal ADA threshold of 15. This means more Ohio workers have state-level protection against disability discrimination, including the right to reasonable accommodations for mental health conditions and other disabilities.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) enforces the state's anti-discrimination laws and investigates complaints. Ohio also has a notable local protection: the city of Columbus enacted a paid sick leave ordinance in 2023, though enforcement and implementation details continue to develop. Workers' compensation in Ohio covers mental health injuries, but "mental-mental" claims (psychological injury without physical injury) generally require proof of a sudden, traumatic workplace event rather than cumulative stress.

Even without a state leave law, Ohio workers benefit from a strong anti-discrimination framework through the Ohio Civil Rights Act, combined with federal FMLA, the ADA, and evolving local protections. The low employer threshold of 4 employees means significantly more workers are covered than under federal law alone.

Leave: Ohio does not have a state family or medical leave law. Federal FMLA is the primary source of job-protected leave.

Anti-Discrimination: The Ohio Civil Rights Act covers employers with 4 or more employees, significantly lower than the federal ADA threshold of 15. Ohio also allows a longer filing deadline of up to 2 years for state discrimination claims.