CA Paid Family Leave

 

What

 

California workers who pay into the State Disability Insurance (SDI) can get up to eight weeks of partial pay a year while taking time off from work to provide care for a seriously ill family member, bond with a new child, or participate in a qualifying event because of a family member’s military deployment to a foreign country.  If eligible, participants can receive about 60 to 70 percent (depending on income) of wages earned, this is subject to certain restrictions.

 

This leave was extended from six to eight weeks in September 2020 with the signing of SB 1383. Signing of SB 1383 repealed and expanded the California New Parent Leave Act, replacing it with an with a new California Family Rights Act (CFRA).

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Benefits

 

Partial or fully paid parental leave makes families more financially stable, gives birth mothers the ability to take sufficient time to recover from childbirth, allows fathers and adoptive parents important time to bond with newborn children, and positively impacts infant outcomes such as birth weight and infant mortality.

 

• It allows time to bond with and care for a newborn or newly adopted child.

• It contributes to better health outcomes for both infants and toddlers.

• It helps brain development for the child. (3)

• It helps lay a solid foundation for healthy relationships and the ability to learn. (3)

• It is also associated with health benefits for new mothers, including declines in depressive symptoms. (4) 

• It may also help prevent child maltreatment. (5)  

• Parents become less likely to require public assistance, a family's income is less likely to drop below the poverty level. (6)

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Why:

Research on the Benefits of Paid Family Leave are Far-Reaching and Show:

 

• Reduced infant mortality - A 10-week extension in paid leave reduced the death rate in infants from one to 12 months old by 6%. (7) 

• Increased paternal involvement - Fathers who take two or more weeks off after a child’s birth are more involved in that infant’s care than fathers who take no leave. (8)  

• Higher immunization rates - Children whose families have paid family leave have higher immunizations rates and are more likely to complete timely well-child check-ups. (9) 

• Improved employee retention - Women with paid family leave are 93% more likely to still be working at their employer one year after the birth of a child than those who take no leave. (10)

• Better talent attraction - In a Deloitte survey, 77% of workers said that paid family leave policies sway their choice of employers. (11) 

• Reinforced company values - Company leaders frequently cite improved paid family leave policies as reinforcing the organization's core values. (12)

• Improved employee engagement - In an Ernst & Young survey, more than 90% of companies with paid family leave reported a positive impact on morale. More than 70% reported a boost in productivity. (13) 

• Enhanced brand equity - Improving paid family leave policies attracts media attention. This can be particularly true for early movers in an industry or companies offering new or more expansive policies. (12)

• Employers report no negative effects from new leave law - Employers who have been affected by California’s paid family leave requirements reported that the program had a neutral or positive effect on business. (14)

 

READ MORE: The New CFRA  and SB 1383

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Sick Leave

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What

 

California paid sick leave law provides most employees in the state with paid time off if they need to be absent for medical reasons or to care for a sick family member under the Healthy Workplace Healthy Family Act of 2014 (HWHFA). Subject to certain restrictions, exemptions, and limitations that you need to understand after consulting with your legal advisor.

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Due to COVID-19, sick leave converge was expanded on in March 2021 with the signing of SB 95. Employers with more than 25 employees must provide COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave to their California employees. This also covers employees who telework. The new sick leave entitlement is retroactive to January 1, 2021 and extends until September 30, 2021. Find out more information HERE.

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Benefits

 

Paid sick leave allows employees job-protected time off to address their basic health needs and that of their families, while not endangering their financial stability.  In a family in which all adults are working, parents without paid sick leave face difficult decisions when their children are ill. Some parents send a sick child to school, some leave the sick child home alone, and others keep an older child home from school to care for the one who is sick. (15)

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 12% of U.S. food workers (among those least able to earn sick leave) had worked at least two shifts with flu-like symptoms during the previous year, illustrating one of the reasons that paid sick leave is a public health issue. (16)

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Additionally:

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• It gives employees time to recover from their illness or care for sick children.

• They can use the time to seek preventative care.

• It reduces the risk of spreading disease and serious illness between employees.

• It increases employee morale and overall job satisfaction.

• It reduces "presenteeism," a condition in which employees are present but unproductive at work due to illness.

• Healthy workers are safer and less likely to be injured on the job. (17)

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Read More

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• Division of Labor Standards Enforcement: Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 

• HR Law Matters: Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 Provides Paid Sick Leave For California Employees

• National Partnership for Women & Families:  Paid Sick Days Are Good for Business

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Paid Time Off  

 

What 

 

The combination of one collective "paid time off" (PTO) versus tracking sick, vacation, and personal time off for employees. In California, employers are not required to provide any paid vacation or PTO to their employees, however employers who choose to offer vacation must follow certain guidelines. 

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Benefits

 

Employees can determine how best to use their paid time off, are more likely to arrange absences in advance, and are less likely to call in sick when they need time off for personal business.  Additionally,  it reduces record-keeping for employers and has been shown to reduce unscheduled absences.

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Vacation Leave

 

What

 

Paid time off offered to employees for vacation. In California, employers are not required to provide any paid vacation or paid time off (PTO) to their employees, however employers who choose to offer vacation must follow certain guidelines.

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Benefits

 

This time off allows employees to recharge mentally and physically and enables families to rest and spend time together.

 

• Employees with paid vacation leave have lower rates of stress and depression. (18)

• The Society for Human Resource Management has found that employers who encourage employees to take vacation time see a reduction in turnover, workers’ compensation claims, and health care costs, as well as an increase in productivity.

• Some employers require employees to take a minimum amount of vacation time each year. (19)

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Personal Leave

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What

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Paid time off which is designated for "general leave" purposes, such as functions for children, appointments or to deal with a personal/private matter.

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Benefits

Supporting parents through paid personal leave is closely connected to children's academic achievement and behavioral health. Personal leave directly affects both the employee and the child.

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Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), CA Pregnancy Disability Leave, and CA Family Rights Act (CFRA)

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What

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The Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) federal law requires employers provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to allow employees to bond with a new child, care for oneself because of a serious health condition, care for certain ill family members (i.e., child, spouse, parent), or care for a military service member with a serious injury or illness. The FMLA only applies to private employers with 50 or more employees and public-sector agencies. Other restrictions may apply.

 

The California Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) Act provides up to 4 months of protected leave during any period during which they are unable to work due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Time may be taken before or after the birth of the child. This applies to employers with five or more employees. Other restrictions may apply.

The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) authorizes eligible employees to take up to a total of 12 weeks of paid or unpaid job-protected leave during a 12-month period. Generally, it mirrors the federal FMLA but also includes registered domestic partners. Other restrictions may apply. CFRA expanded in 2020 with the signing of SB 1383.

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Read More

 

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing: PDL, CFRA, NPLA, and FMLA Requirements and Obligations

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Unpaid Time Off

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What

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Unpaid time off (UTO) is a time away from work without pay that an employee can take. Employees may sometimes request UTO if they are sick, want to take a holiday, or have other personal obligations and do not have a sufficient paid time off balance.

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Benefits

 

While unpaid leave does not provide wages, it does ensure employment continuity and prevents the loss of employer-paid benefits, such as vacation time or health insurance coverage.

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School-Related Leave

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What

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The Family-School Partnership Act is a California law that allows parents, grandparents, and guardians to take time off from work to participate in their children's school or child care activities, such as attending events, school conferences, or disciplinary meetings.  See restrictions, exemptions, and limitations.

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Benefits

 

• The law protects the rights of family members to participate in school-related activities such as volunteering in the class, field trips, helping with fundraisers, school-sponsored sporting events, or parent-teacher conferences, without facing consequences in the workplace. 

• As parental involvement in a child’s education is closely connected to the child’s academic achievement, supporting a parent’s involvement in a child’s school activities offers an important family-friendly benefit.

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Read More

 

The California Teachers Association: Family-School Partnership Act FAQS