Employment

There are a number of protections that may provide paid leave. 

California Family Rights Act 

This protection will allow you to take off up to 12 weeks of work during a 12-month period to care for a seriously ill family member, care for your own serious health condition, or care for a new child.  In order to qualify, you must work for a business with more than 5 employees, have worked for the employer for more than 1 year, and have completed at least 1,250 hours of work within the previous year of employment. Any health benefits tied to your job should remain in place while this leave is taken and you should not be fired for taking this leave. 

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is the federal version of the California Family Rights Act.  It applies to some California employees and has some differences. Click here for more information on the CFRA and here for more information on FMLA.

California Family School Partnership Act 

This protection will allow you to take off up to 40 hours of leave each year to deal with child care, school emergencies, or school closures due to COVID-19. In order to qualify, you must work for a business with more than 25 employees and use your accrued vacation time, personal leave, or compensatory time to cover the requested hours. 

California Paid Family Leave

This protection will allow you to take off up to 8 weeks of work to care for a seriously ill family member, care for your own serious health condition, or care for a new child. In order to qualify, you must have a need to use the hours and you must have paid at least $300 into State Disability Insurance (SDI) during the base period. If you qualify, you will be paid 60% to 70% of your weekly wages. Click here for more information and to apply.