Medical experts usually say the average person can live for 4 to 6 weeks without food. The amount of time someone can go without water is much shorter, roughly a week (or less).
Your employer can force you to take leave at a particular time as long as they give you at least two weeks' notice. However, it is common for employer and employee to come to an agreement about the timing of annual leave. If you put in a request for leave, your employer has to have a good reason to refuse it.
I know that we have 5 days to give the FMLA paperwork to an employee once a statement has been made that may entitle an employee to receive FMLA benefits but what time frame do they have to return the paperwork to the employer?