{"id":15436,"date":"2020-04-14T15:34:57","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T13:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?p=15436"},"modified":"2020-04-14T17:16:39","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T15:16:39","slug":"paid-family-leave-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/paid-family-leave-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Paid Family Leave California State Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arguably, one of the most asked about HR topics is <\/span>family leave law across the US. You\u2019ve likely heard of it many times, but do you really know what the Federal paid family leave act covers or how it affects you and your employees? The best place to start to understand paid family leave, is to look at how it functions in general, across the States as a whole. Following this, we\u2019ll dive into the paid family leave California (PFL) offers, to provide an example that is beneficial, no matter which state you are reading this from.<\/span><\/p>\n

Federal Paid Family Leave<\/span><\/h2>\n

A Federal Family Leave definition is important to include here before moving on. In a nutshell, this leave time is applied towards workers who are required to take sick leave to care for family members, while still getting paid. It also provides paid family leave for fathers and mothers to bond with newborns, adoptions or foster care. At a Federal level, there is the <\/span>Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)<\/span><\/a>. This allows workers to take leave without worrying about losing their job. However, it does not provide pay during the time off. Individual states can supplement the FMLA to make up for this. California is one such example.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Paid Family Leave California\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

California is one of the few states to have a comprehensive PFL policy. HR managers need to be aware of this and how it can affect employees. This Family Leave Act allows qualifying California workers to receive weekly,<\/span> tax-free benefits <\/b>until they\u2019re able to return to work. Looking at their quarterly earnings 5 – 18 months before, they receive between 60 – 70% of their highest quarter. So, if a PFL claim begins in April, May, or June, the weekly benefit amount is calculated from the quarter they earnt the most in between January 1st and December 31st of the year before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Workers can currently claim six weeks PFL<\/b>, over a 12 month period. They do not have to take these six weeks continuously. The weeks can be broken up throughout the year. Take note, this will be extended to eight weeks PFL come July 2020. Employers should be aware that there is a one week paid leave waiting period between applying for PFL and receiving it. Employers can also require workers to take up two weeks of unused vacation before receiving their first PFL payment.<\/span><\/p>\n

California PFL Eligibility\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many people ask the question \u201cDo I qualify for family leave in California?\u201d There are conditions to paid family leave California eligibility which employers must note. <\/span>For workers to qualify for paid leave their employer must pay into California State Disability Insurance (CASDI)<\/b>. If, and only if, they do this, employees will be entitled to receive PFL. To take full advantage of this Employee Sick Leave Act, workers must have earned at least $300 in wages during the previous 12 months, from which CASDI was withheld through payroll deduction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another <\/span>key criterion for eligibility <\/b>to paid family leave California, is that workers must have just cause. This would include a seriously ill family member or a birth in the family. There are two different types of PFL claims in California which workers may apply for. HR managers need to be aware of both. We will have a brief look at them now.<\/span><\/p>\n

PFL Care<\/b><\/h4>\n

This is for workers who need to take PFL to:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n