California Family Rights Act (CFRA)

The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for their own serious health condition or a family member with a serious health condition, or to bond with a new child In addition, California law requires covered employers to provide employees disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition with unpaid, job-protected leave (PDL) and/or accommodations. Effective January 1st, 2021 here are the following changes;

Employers of 5 or more employees covered by CFRA. CFRA also applies to the California state and local governments as employers.
Worksite limitation eliminated: To be eligible for CFRA leave, an employee generally needs to meet 2 requirements: have worked for the employer for more than 12 months, have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months prior to their leave.
Circumstances for CFRA leave expanded: Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave to: care for their own serious health condition; care for certain family members’ serious health condition; or to bond with a new child (by birth, adoption, or foster placement).
Types of family members expanded: Currently, CFRA leave may be taken to care for the serious health condition of a spouse, domestic partner, parent, minor child, or dependent adult child. Starting on January 1, 2021, employees may take leave to care for additional family members, including: an adult child, a child of a domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.
Limitation on parents working for the same employer eliminated: Starting January 1, 2021, if both parents of a new child work for the same employer, each parent is entitled to up to 12 weeks of leave.

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