(a) An employer under FMLA includes any public agency, as defined in section 3(x) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. 203(x). Section 3(x) of the FLSA defines public agency as the government of the United States; the government of a State or political subdivision of a State; or an agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or any interstate governmental agency. State is further defined in Section 3(c) of the FLSA to include any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States.
(b) The determination of whether an entity is a public agency, as distinguished from a private employer, is determined by whether the agency has taxing authority, or whether the chief administrative officer or board, etc., is elected by the voters-at-large or their appointment is subject to approval by an elected official.
(c)(1) A State or a political subdivision of a State constitutes a single public agency and, therefore, a single employer for purposes of determining employee eligibility. For example, a State is a single employer; a county is a single employer; a city or town is a single employer. Whether two agencies of the same State or local government constitute the same public agency can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. One factor that would support a conclusion that two agencies are separate is whether they are treated separately for statistical purposes in the Census of Governments issued by the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce.
(2) The Census Bureau takes a census of governments at five-year intervals. Volume I, Government Organization, contains the official counts of the number of State and local governments. It includes tabulations of governments by State, type of government, size, and county location. Also produced is a universe list of governmental units, classified according to type of government. Copies of Volume I, Government Organization, and subsequent volumes are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, U.S. Department of Commerce District Offices, or can be found in Regional and selective depository libraries, or online at http://www.census.gov/govs/www/index.html. For a list of all depository libraries, write to the Government Printing Office, 710 N. Capitol St. NW., Washington, DC 20402.
(d) All public agencies are covered by the FMLA regardless of the number of employees; they are not subject to the coverage threshold of 50 employees carried on the payroll each day for 20 or more weeks in a year. However, employees of public agencies must meet all of the requirements of eligibility, including the requirement that the employer (e.g., State) employ 50 employees at the worksite or within 75 miles.
Notes of Decisions
Carolyn S. Fain v. Wayne Cnty. Auditor's Off., 388 F.3d 257 (7th Cir. 2004).
· cites it 3× “§ 2611 (4)(A)(3); 29 C.F.R. § 825.108 (d). That numerical limitation, however, is resurrected elsewhere in the FMLA, which limits eligibility for FMLA protections to “eligible employees.”
Modica v. Taylor, 465 F.3d 174 (5th Cir. 2006).
“As noted above, 29 C.F.R. § 825.108 (d) provides: All public agencies are covered by FMLA regardless of the number of employees; they are not subject to the coverage threshold of 50 employees carried on the payroll each day for 20 or more weeks in a year.”
Braden v. Cnty. of Washington, 749 F. Supp. 2d 299 (W.D. Pa. 2010).
· cites it 3× “108 (c)(1), and reads, in pertinent part, as follows: “A State or a political subdivision of the state constitutes a single public agency, and, therefore, a single employer for purposes of determining employee eligibility.” 13 Generally speaking, an “eligible employee” is, in…”
Clements v. Hous. Auth. of Borough of Princeton, 532 F. Supp. 2d 700 (D.N.J. 2007).
· cites it 3× “29 C.F.R. § 825.108 (d). If a plaintiff cannot show that her employer employs the requisite minimum number of employees, dismissal of an FMLA claim is proper.”
Terry Tilley v. Kalamazoo Cnty. Road Comm'n, 777 F.3d 303 (6th Cir. 2015).
“See 29 C.F.R. § 825.108 (d) (“[Ejmployees of public agencies must meet all of the requirements of eligibility, including the requirement that the employer (e.”
Rollins v. Wilson Cnty. Gov't, 967 F. Supp. 990 (M.D. Tenn. 1997).
· cites it 4× “For example, a State is a single employer; a county is a single employer; a city or town is a single employer.”
Keene v. Rinaldi, 127 F. Supp. 2d 770 (M.D.N.C. 2000).
“29 C.F.R. § 825.108 . This lack of regulatory discussion of liability for supervisors working for public agencies confirms the Court’s conclusion that the FMLA does not impose individual liability upon such persons.”
Mendel v. City of Gibraltar, 842 F. Supp. 2d 1035 (E.D. Mich. 2012).
· cites it 2× “However, Defendant contends that Plaintiff is not an “eligible employee” entitled to benefits as defined in the FMLA implementing regulations, 29 C.F.R. § 825.108 (d). To qualify under this provision, “employees of public agencies must meet all of the requirements of…”
Mason v. Massachusetts Dep't of Env't Prot., 774 F. Supp. 2d 349 (D. Mass. 2011).
“At least one other district court in the First Circuit has concluded that DEP officials acting in their official capacities are entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity.”
Allen v. City of Sturgis, 559 F. Supp. 2d 837 (W.D. Mich. 2008).
“”); 29 C.F.R. § 825.108 (a) (adopting the FLSA’s definition of public agency as “the government of the United States; the government of a State or political subdivision of a State; or an agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State”) (emphasis…”
— 29 C.F.R. § 825.108(c)(1) — 2 cases
Braden v. Cnty. of Washington, 749 F. Supp. 2d 299 (W.D. Pa. 2010).
“108 (c)(1), and reads, in pertinent part, as follows: “A State or a political subdivision of the state constitutes a single public agency, and, therefore, a single employer for purposes of determining employee eligibility.” 13 Generally speaking, an “eligible employee” is, in…”
Shain (D. Maryland 2026).
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