New Parent Leave Act

What Is The New Parent Leave Act?

In addition to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), which give eligible employees the right to take protected time off work for specific qualifying family or medical reasons, the state of California has introduced the New Parent Leave Act, giving employees the right to take protected time off work for baby-bonding purposes. Effective January 1, 2018, the new Parental Leave law covers California employers with 20 or more employees, whereas previously, only employers with 50 or more employees were required to provide eligible employees with baby-bonding leave under FMLA and CFRA. For more information about the New Parent Leave Act and other protected leaves of absence in California, contact our knowledgeable FMLA & protected leave lawyers at Davtyan Law Firm today.

New Parent Leave Act Requirements

California’s New Parent Leave Act is a state law that applies to employers with 20 to 49 employees within a 75-mile radius and requires employers to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a newborn, foster or adopted child within one year of the child’s birth, foster care placement or adoption. Under this law, a California employee is eligible for Parental Leave if he or she has worked for the employer for at least 12 months, worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months, and worked at a job site with at least 20 employees within a 75-mile radius.

Contact Our CA Employment Law Attorney Today

Compared to other states, California has some of the most protective leave laws in the country. While other states may have one or two protected leaves of absence available to employees in addition to federal leave laws, the state of California imposes a long list of protected leaves, including the New Parent Leave Act, Pregnancy Disability Leave, Military Service Leave, School Activities Leave, and more. As a California employee, you are entitled to take time off work for certain qualifying family and medical reasons if you are eligible under FMLA, CFRA, the New Parent Leave Act or another leave law. If your employer refuses to grant your leave or discriminates or retaliates against you for taking a protected leave of absence, contact our experienced California employment law attorney at Davtyan Law Firm to discuss your legal options. Any California employer who violates an employee’s right to baby-bonding leave under the New Parent Leave Act may be subject to a civil lawsuit and our lawyer can help.