Dealing with the complexities of paid leave in California can be difficult. While staying updated on the new rules, you must also maintain accurate record keeping, checking that all staff members are supported. You manage the leave requests, approve them, and compensate accordingly so you need a tracking system to make the processes easy. Luckily, EarnPayroll\u2019s HR and payroll services<\/a> come in to take these tasks off your hands, simplifying compliance and management so you can focus on other important aspects of your company.<\/p>\n Paid sick leave<\/a>, or PSL, is one of the permanent California labor laws<\/a> that mandates employers offer their staff paid time off to take care of themselves or their loved ones. PSL is usually utilized to allow them to recover from injuries (mental or physical), seek diagnosis or treatment for an illness, or take care of a family member going through any of the above.<\/p>\n If you’re wondering how many sick days can you have per year, you should provide five days off for paid medical leave or a minimum of 40 hours every year. However, there are two options when complying with this law: you can grant all the hours at once or establish an accrual annual plan where you offer an hour of paid leave for every 30 hours the employee works. This is for temporary, full, or part-time workers who meet certain qualifications. Paid family leave (PFL)<\/a> is another important support California employees receive when they need time off work to manage significant life events.<\/p>\n Staff members qualify for paid leave if they need time off for their families but need their wages. They can apply if they need to spend time with a newborn baby, or need to care for their partner, child, parent, grandchild, or sibling. Mothers can get paid family leave California after giving birth. If they are pregnant, they may receive Disability Insurance<\/a> (DI) before their due date or while recovering from childbirth. This gives them enough time to bond with their babies. Note that all mothers qualify regardless of their citizenship status.<\/p>\n When requesting California paid family leave, the eligibility criteria and duration for fathers are the same as for mothers. They are also granted time off to bond with their new babies without suffering a wage loss.<\/p>\n Pregnancy disability leave is similar to paid family medical leave, but it is granted to support the recovery of pregnancy-related medical conditions and is only a job-protected leave. It protects employees who have been disabled due to childbirth, pregnancy, or related complications.<\/p>\n To be eligible, you must have coverage as the employer, and the employee’s complication or disability must be related to childbirth or pregnancy such that it prevents them from performing their daily tasks. If successful, you can offer up to four months of leave for every pregnancy, and employees can take it when they need it as long as they have medical certification to support their request.<\/p>\n While PDL protects the employee\u2019s job, the California State Disability Insurance<\/a> (CASDI) offers wage replacement benefits. The CASDI tax is deducted from the paycheck and goes towards insurance that funds their pregnancy-related disability. As of 2025, the tax rate stands at 1.2%, and upon approval, the employees can receive 60-70% of their usual wages for a certain time frame depending on their earnings and condition.<\/p>\n Parental leave California is a benefit granted to employees to take time off and care for their new babies or adopted children. It includes adoption leave, maternity leave, and paternity leave. Parental leave is truly important for staff to create a healthy work-life balance, fulfilling their caregiving duties while securing their jobs. In addition to paid leave options, many employers offer perks and benefits<\/a> to support employees during this period.<\/p>\n Employees are eligible for paid parental leave if they need the time with their babies, and they can receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave. It is offered for both mothers and fathers and is protected by the California Family Rights Act (CFRA).<\/p>\n If eligible for the CFRA, employees can take a maximum of 12 weeks of paid or unpaid leave within a year. They are eligible if they need the time off to care for their loved one (child, spouse, or parent) or cannot work due to severe health complications. In this case, a serious health condition means incapacitation due to an illness or injury, which prevents them from doing normal daily tasks. Currently, there are no specific laws in California stating that you should provide annual leave or paid time off to your employees, so it depends on your policies. Paid Time Off (PTO) can combine California sick leave, personal days, and vacation days for your staff to use when they need to, which is also based on individual policies.<\/p>\nPaid Sick Leave (PSL)<\/h2>\n
Duration and Eligibility<\/h3>\n
\nThey must have been employed for at least 90 days before taking the leave and must have worked for the same company for a minimum of 30 days within the same year in California. Don\u2019t worry if this seems complex; employee time and attendance tracking services<\/a> will help you calculate these hours and track them accurately, making sure compliance.<\/p>\nPaid Family Leave<\/h2>\n
Duration and Eligibility<\/h3>\n
\nIf eligible, they can receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave<\/a>, which is usually 60-70 percent of their weekly earnings from 5-18 months since they started their claim. If you are not sure how it works, you can trust EarnPayroll to solve the complexities and smooth out the entire process.<\/p>\nPaid Family Leave for Mothers (Maternity Leave)<\/h3>\n
Paid Family Leave for Fathers (Paternity Leave)<\/h3>\n
Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)<\/h2>\n
Duration and Eligibility<\/h3>\n
State Disability Insurance (SDI) Benefits<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nParental Leave<\/h2>\n
Duration and Eligibility<\/h3>\n
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) Leave<\/h3>\n
\nProper California health insurance management<\/a> helps employees choose the right health coverage while on leave. It also makes sure they keep their important benefits.<\/p>\nVacation Leave<\/h2>\n
Duration and Eligibility<\/h3>\n