California grants employees many rights when it comes to leave associated with becoming a new parent or for disability related to a woman’s pregnancy. Here’s a closer look at these California maternity leave laws:
Are You Entitled to Maternity Leave?
California law affords several opportunities for leave:
- California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (“PDL”) requires employers to provide employees up to four months of leave for disability due to an employee’s pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
- Beginning January 1, 2021, California’s New Parent Leave Act (“NPLA”) requires employers with 20 or employees within 75 miles to provide employees with up to 12 weeks of baby-bonding leave within one year of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
- Under the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), private employers who have employed 50 or more employees for each workday during each of the 20 or more calendar workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year are required to provide up to 12 workweeks for the birth of a child, the care of a child, or for the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.
- California Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) provides for 8 weeks of payments from the State Disability Fund to cover part of the wage loss suffered by employees who take time off work to bond with a new child.
Can You Be Fired for Getting Pregnant?
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (“PDA”) prohibits the unfair treatment of women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions in the work place. While an employee is on pregnancy disability leave, her position must be held open for her upon return, similar to anybody else who is out on disability or sick leave.
Contact Gokal Law
Do you think you were retaliated against as a result of taking leave related to childbirth or pregnancy? Do you believe you were denied proper leave for being a new parent or while you were pregnant? Contact Jibit Cinar of Cepkinian-Cinar Law.