California has several laws related to maternity and paternity leave. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides eligible employees of employers with 50 or more employees with up to 12 weeks of job-protected non-paid leave for certain family or medical reasons, including the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care. The New Parent Leave Act (NPLA) provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for employees to bond with a new child within one year of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
In addition, California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program provides partial wage replacement (generally 60 to 70 percent of your weekly earnings) to eligible employees who take time off work to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. The PFL program provides up to six weeks of benefits in a 12-month period.
Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides benefit payments to people who need to take time off work to:
- Care for a seriously ill family member.
- Bond with a new child.
- Participate in a qualifying event because of a family member’s military deployment.
If eligible, you can receive benefit payments for up to eight weeks. PFL provides benefit payments but not job protection. Your job may be protected by other laws, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act.
Employers with 20 or more employees are also required to provide eligible employees with up to four months of pregnancy disability leave (PDL) for a pregnancy-related condition.
It is important to note that these laws have specific eligibility requirements and other conditions that must be met in order to qualify for leave or benefits. Employees should consult with their employer and/or an attorney for more information.
Leave a Reply