Paid Family Leave Resources in California
 |  |  |
Five years ago this summer, California became the first state in the country to pass a law entitling workers to up to 6 weeks of partially paid leave after the birth or adoption of a baby or to care for a sick family member. However, many new parents and family caregivers who need this paid time off don't know about their rights. A recent survey found that only 28% of Californians are aware of the Paid Family Leave law! Workers of color and low-wage workers are less likely to know about PFL, even though they are also less likely to have paid sick days or paid vacation days that more affluent workers are provided.What does the law provide?• Paid Family Leave provides for up to 6 weeks of partially paid leave each year to bond with a newborn baby, newly adopted or foster child, or to care for a seriously ill parent, child, spouse or registered domestic partner.• Workers, whether full time or part time, receive 55% of their wages (maximum of $959 per week).• Workers are eligible if they pay into State Disability Insurance (SDI) or a voluntary plan and if they earned at least $300 in the last 12 months.• Workers may take Paid Family Leave all at once, but are not required to (since the law does not have a minimum number of days or hours).• Although the Paid Family Leave law does not expressly provide statutory job protection, workers may be eligible for other laws that do. Why is Paid Family Leave so important?• Having a baby is a leading cause of “poverty spells” in the US – when income dips below what’s needed to basic living expenses. [1]• Paid family leave has been shown to significantly reduce infant and child mortality. [2]• Women who take leave are more likely to breastfeed their infants, leading to improved health for mother and child. [3]• Many women are still feeling childbirth-related symptoms 5 weeks after giving birth – paid family leave gives moms a chance to recover. [4]How can you find out more?For basic information about the program, visit the Employment Development Department or call their toll-free hotline: 1-877-BE-THERE or 877-238-4373 (English, Español, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Armenian, Punjabi, and Tagalog) or 1-800-445-1312 (TTY).If you're having difficulty taking leave or have employment-related questions, call the free work and family hotline at the Legal Aid Society–Employment Law Center: 800-880-8047 (Español, English and Cantonese).For more information, visit the Paid Family Leave Collaborative website or call them at 800-880-8047.Notes:[1] US Department of Health and Human Services. 1998. Indicators of welfare dependence. Washington, DC: DHHS.[2] Tanaka, S. 2005. "Parental Leave and Child Health Across OECD Countries." The Economic Journal 115 (501): F7-F28.[3] Fein SB, Roe B. The effect of work status on initiation and duration of breast-feeding. American Journal of Public Health, 1998; 88:1042-1046.[4] McGovern, P., Dowd, B., Gjerdingen, D., Gross, C.R., Kenney, S., Ukestad, L., McCaffrey, D., and U. Lundberg. 2006. “Postpartum health of employed mothers 5 weeks after childbirth.” Annals of Family Medicine 4: 159-167.
