Known as Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA), effective October 2020, Federal workers will be entitled to 12 weeks of paid time off for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a new child; to care for a spouse, child, or parent; for particular military caregiving and leave purposes; and for personal health reasons to federal workers who are eligible for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The FEPLA will not provide employees additional leave time; it simply allows federal employees to receive pay during their 12 weeks of FMLA leave.
In California, virtually all workers are covered by California’s Paid Family Leave or State Disability Insurance programs to provide partial wage replacement for the reasons outlined above.
California’s New Parent Leave Act (Parental Leave) requires employers with 20 or more employees to allow eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a newborn, or a child placed with the employee for adoption or foster care.
California Paid Family Leave is an insurance program run by California’s State Disability Insurance division. It’s mandatory for all California employees, no matter the size of their employer. Employees pay into the program and can receive 60-70% of their salary, up to $1,216 per week, for up to six weeks within any 12-month period. The exact amount depends on their salary. The program is employee-funded through payroll deductions. This means even if you’re a small business that can’t afford to pay your employees while they’re on family leave, the California Paid Family Leave program gives your employees benefits if they’re eligible.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year with no threat of job loss. It also requires that employers covered by the law maintain the health benefits for eligible workers just as if they were working. All public agencies must follow FMLA rules, including state, federal, and local employers, as well as schools. For private employers, FMLA applies only to those who employed 50 or more employees for at least 20 workweeks during either the current or previous year.
