Hi! I was just talking with a peer, got very confused, tried to piece information in this area, and still need some help.

So, this is in two-parts--1) businesses with 50+ employees and 2) those with under 50 employees--which basically involve the same set of five questions...

* Which CA state laws apply regarding maternity leave?

* What's the maximum time off can an employee have?

* What time-off eligibilities do fathers have and how does this exactly work?

* Which federal laws apply?

* How do the state and federal laws interact / overlap?

Thanks for hopefully simple and clear explanations for the 50+ and under 50 number of employee companies!

Hi! I was just talking with a peer, got very confused, tried to piece information in this area, and still need some help.

So, this is in two-parts--1) businesses with 50+ employees and 2) those with under 50 employees--which basically involve the same set of five questions...

* Which CA state laws apply regarding maternity leave?
Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA, which only applies to over 50 employees)

* What's the maximum time off can an employee have?
Over 50 - 4 months plus 12 weeks
Under 50 - 4 months

* What time-off eligibilities do fathers have and how does this exactly work?

Over 50 - 12 weeks
Under 50 - no time off eligilbility, but can still get paid for 6 weeks off through the state Paid Time Off program.
* Which federal laws apply?
Doesn't matter, the state laws are so much more protective that you will never refer to them.

* How do the state and federal laws interact / overlap?
Like a tiny little guppie being swallowed by a killer whale. The state laws trump the federal ones.

Thanks for hopefully simple and clear explanations for the 50+ and under 50 number of employee companies!

Hope that helps!

Hi, Megan! Nice summary!

One clarifcation about

* What time-off eligibilities do fathers have and how does this exactly work?

Over 50 - 12 weeks
Under 50 - no time off eligilbility, but can still get paid for 6 weeks off through the state Paid Time Off program.

Regarding "state Paid Time Off program," are you referring to CA's Paid Family Leave?

Also, how does this "PFL" run with the PDL, CFRA, FMLA, and any other related acronyms?

Thanks!

Sorry, they changed the acronym midway through, the correct one is PFL.

PFL does not have any job protection - it is just a way for fathers and mothers who are either using CFRA leave, or getting voluntary leave from their employers to receive some income.