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.
Even though managing FMLA intermittent leave can be vexing, the law does give employers some tools to combat leave abuse. As with leave taken in one block, employees requesting FMLA intermittent leave must provide you notice. Employees must give at least 30 daysâ notice when their need for FMLA leave is foreseeable.