Glossary

Term · California: Leave, Money, and Paperwork

Paid Family Leave

Also: PFL, CA Paid Family Leave

A California state program that pays partial wages for weeks away from work to bond with a new baby or care for a family member. It is run by the Employment Development Department.

In plain words

Paid Family Leave is a California state insurance program. It pays part of a worker's wages for a set number of weeks. Workers can use it to bond with a new baby, to care for a seriously ill family member, or to help with a military event. Parents of a newborn can use it after birth or adoption. The program is funded through a payroll deduction and is run by the state . Benefits are a percentage of wages, up to a set weekly maximum. Eligibility depends on recent work history. Mothers often use it alongside , which covers the time a mother is disabled by pregnancy or birth.

The deeper version

California Paid Family Leave, administered by the Employment Development Department under the Unemployment Insurance Code, provides wage replacement for a limited number of weeks within a 12-month period, for bonding with a new child or caring for a seriously ill family member. The exact week limit is set in EDD's published program rules. It was enacted in 2002 and took effect in 2004, and it is funded by a payroll contribution. Benefit amounts are based on a percentage of highest quarter earnings subject to a weekly maximum. It is distinct from Pregnancy Disability Leave, administered by the Civil Rights Department, which covers disability from pregnancy and childbirth. Evaluations of California's program have reported increases in leave-taking and improved breastfeeding and infant care outcomes in some populations.

Where it comes up

What mothers here say about Paid Family Leave

No one has posted under this term yet.

Share your experience, or ask

Sign in with Google to post under this topic. Your first name and photo come from Google; you can change what shows later. No membership needed.

Sources

  • California Employment Development Department — Paid Family Leave program guide and benefit information
  • Rossin-Slater M et al. — The effects of California's paid family leave program on mothers' leave-taking and subsequent labor market outcomes. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 2013

The Mothership Topic Wiki is general information for mothers and the people who care for them. It is not medical, legal, or mental-health advice and does not create a provider relationship. Experiences posted by members are their own. In an emergency call 911. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988.