Navigating California Maternity Leave Benefit Policies
California maternity leave benefits are quite rich when compared to most other state. Like any other government benefit, you need to know the different laws, how they work, and where to apply for benefits. CA has four laws which impact maternity leave for workers: state disability insurance, paid family leave, pregnancy disability leave, and family rights act. Women can increase their level of maternity benefit by purchasing short term disability before getting pregnant.
CA State Disability Insurance
California state disability insurance (SDI) is the first of four benefit programs you need to understand and utilize. The state disability plan replaces 55% of your income, up to a weekly cap of $987 in 2011. Pregnancy is covered in the same manner as any other disabling condition. For normal pregnancy benefits are paid for up to four weeks prior to delivery, and six weeks after delivery. Benefits may be paid for a longer period of time if you deliver via c-section, or you experience a specific complication of pregnancy. Contact the state employment development department for more information or to file a claim.
California Paid Family Leave
CA paid family leave is funded and administered through the state disability insurance program. The benefit calculations of 55% income replacement and a $987 cap apply here as well. You can claim paid family leave benefits to bond with your newborn baby.
Keep in mind one very important point when considering the level of income replacement in California: 55% income replacement equals a 45% cut in pay.
California Pregnancy Disability Act
The CA pregnancy disability leave act permits a female employee up to four months of unpaid job protected leave for the period during which she is disabled due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Can you pay all your bills on a 45% pay cut should this happen to you?
CA Family Rights Act
The California family medical leave act supplements the federal law (FMLA), and provides an important distinction extremely relevant to maternity leave situations - particularly when pregnancy complications cause an extended leave from work prior to delivery. The federal FMLA applies to your own disability and/or the care of a sick family member and newborn child.
The CA law specifically omits job protection benefits due to a pregnant woman's own incapacity to work. This benefit is already in place with the pregnancy disability act. And this works to your benefit in many cases allowing for up to seven months of job protected leave with partial income replacement.
Examine a pregnancy complications scenario to understand why this distinction is so important. Let's say you experience complications during your pregnancy and miss twelve weeks of work prior to your delivery. The federal FMLA provides for up to twelve weeks of unpaid job protected leave during this time. Once you deliver your baby, the CA law then provides an additional twelve weeks of job protected leave to care for your newborn. In this situation the two laws work in harmony to provide twenty four months of job protected leave.
Increase Your Maternity Benefit
Seven months of job protected leave with partial income replacement is far better than what most states provide. CA is only one of five states with state disability coverage, only one of two states with paid leave to bond with your baby, one of only ten states with a law supplementing the federal FMLA, and the only state with a pregnancy disability law. But can you go seven months with at least a 45% pay cut?
If not, purchase short term disability insurance before getting pregnant. It will help increase your level of maternity leave income, and provide added protection in case complications of pregnancy cause you to miss additional time from work.
CA State Disability Insurance
California state disability insurance (SDI) is the first of four benefit programs you need to understand and utilize. The state disability plan replaces 55% of your income, up to a weekly cap of $987 in 2011. Pregnancy is covered in the same manner as any other disabling condition. For normal pregnancy benefits are paid for up to four weeks prior to delivery, and six weeks after delivery. Benefits may be paid for a longer period of time if you deliver via c-section, or you experience a specific complication of pregnancy. Contact the state employment development department for more information or to file a claim.
California Paid Family Leave
CA paid family leave is funded and administered through the state disability insurance program. The benefit calculations of 55% income replacement and a $987 cap apply here as well. You can claim paid family leave benefits to bond with your newborn baby.
Keep in mind one very important point when considering the level of income replacement in California: 55% income replacement equals a 45% cut in pay.
California Pregnancy Disability Act
The CA pregnancy disability leave act permits a female employee up to four months of unpaid job protected leave for the period during which she is disabled due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Can you pay all your bills on a 45% pay cut should this happen to you?
CA Family Rights Act
The California family medical leave act supplements the federal law (FMLA), and provides an important distinction extremely relevant to maternity leave situations - particularly when pregnancy complications cause an extended leave from work prior to delivery. The federal FMLA applies to your own disability and/or the care of a sick family member and newborn child.
The CA law specifically omits job protection benefits due to a pregnant woman's own incapacity to work. This benefit is already in place with the pregnancy disability act. And this works to your benefit in many cases allowing for up to seven months of job protected leave with partial income replacement.
Examine a pregnancy complications scenario to understand why this distinction is so important. Let's say you experience complications during your pregnancy and miss twelve weeks of work prior to your delivery. The federal FMLA provides for up to twelve weeks of unpaid job protected leave during this time. Once you deliver your baby, the CA law then provides an additional twelve weeks of job protected leave to care for your newborn. In this situation the two laws work in harmony to provide twenty four months of job protected leave.
Increase Your Maternity Benefit
Seven months of job protected leave with partial income replacement is far better than what most states provide. CA is only one of five states with state disability coverage, only one of two states with paid leave to bond with your baby, one of only ten states with a law supplementing the federal FMLA, and the only state with a pregnancy disability law. But can you go seven months with at least a 45% pay cut?
If not, purchase short term disability insurance before getting pregnant. It will help increase your level of maternity leave income, and provide added protection in case complications of pregnancy cause you to miss additional time from work.
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