A Guide to Maternity Leave in California (SDI & PFL)
In this post, I will do a breakdown of maternity leave in California, which includes prepartum leave, disability leave (SDI), and bonding leave/paid family leave (PFL). I’ll talk about job protection you will have during your leave, the payments you will receive, and simple steps on what you need to do to get your benefits.
As a first-time mom (FTM), there is enough to worry about while being pregnant with your first baby. Not to mention having to navigate the complex maternity leave maze with its many rules and guidelines. It took me quite a few phone calls to my company’s Benefits department (HR) and EDD to figure things out. I wanted to write this post as a guide to maternity leave in California to save other moms the extra headache. I also put together a job aid of the information I have gathered at the end of this post. Note that this information may change depending on future rules and situations, so check with your company and local government to make sure you’re getting the most accurate details.
Job Protection
The laws let you take unpaid leave and be reinstated to the same or comparable job after your leave, with some exceptions. CA laws provide broader protections and apply to more employees since they cover smaller employers.
The federal law Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows you to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a year. This is for the entire maternity leave. It can run concurrently with PDL and CFRA.
- Eligibility: You must have worked for your current employer for at least 1,250 hours and for at least 12 months. Your employer must have at least 50 employees.
The CA state law Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) allows you to take up to 4 months of unpaid, job-protected leave in a year. This applies to the period where you are disabled due to pregnancy, childbirth, recovery from childbirth, and other related medical conditions. You take this before starting CFRA.
- Eligibility: Your employer must have at least 5 employees.
The CA state law California Family Rights Act (CFRA) allows you to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a year. This applies to the bonding period with your child. After taking PDL, you would start CFRA.
- Eligibility: You must have worked for your current employer for at least 1,250 hours and for at least 12 months. Your employer must have at least 5 employees.
Getting Paid While on Maternity Leave
So your job is protected, but the leave is unpaid. How do you get paid while on maternity leave? This is where State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) come in. They offer wage replacement while you’re on leave.
State Disability Insurance (SDI) covers the prepartum and recovery periods. Paid Family Leave (PFL) covers the bonding period with your baby. You get these because you paid into the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program in the past 5-18 months at your job. You can usually see this noted as CASDI on a paystub.
- If self-employed, you may be eligible if you are contributing to the Disability Insurance Elective Coverage program.
- If unemployed, you must have collected Unemployment Insurance and/or be actively looking for work to qualify. Check with EDD for additional qualifications as needed.
Prepartum Benefits for Before Delivery
Before you give birth, you can take up to 4 weeks of prepartum leave before your estimated due date. You can take more if you have medical conditions certified by your doctor. I would recommend taking this because:
- You can get paid the last four weeks of your pregnancy using State Disability Insurance (SDI).
- Disability Insurance payment is not taxed, so your take-home pay may not change much.
- You can get some precious rest, especially with a rough pregnancy (I know mine was).
- You can get ready for baby’s arrival (that baby room isn’t going to set up itself).
- This is a use-it-or-lose-it benefit, so you can’t save it for later.
- Lastly, baby may decide to come early, so you may not even get all 4 weeks off. Though if baby comes later than the due date, you get more time off.
What you need to do:
- Let your job know when you want to start your prepartum leave.
- Check with Human Resources (HR) at your company on how to begin the process.
- Get a doctor’s note if necessary.
- Let your manager know (HR may also send them an email) so that they can plan who can cover your responsibilities while you are on leave.
- On the first day of your leave, apply to EDD to get State Disability Insurance (SDI) wage replacement benefits.
- It may take EDD 2 weeks or more to process your claim. Have money saved up to cover yourself during this time. It has taken EDD over a month in the past. Recently, they’ve been faster at processing.
- There is a 7-day unpaid waiting period before EDD payment kicks in. This means that the first week after you start your leave will not be paid by EDD. One company had me use my sick/vacation time to cover this. Another company paid me during this time and even topped off my leave pay to 100%.
How much money can you get?
EDD used to pay 60-70% of wages. On January 1st, 2025, the rate increased to 70-90% of wages with a maximum pay of $1,681. California usually has good benefits for residents, so it’s nice to see that they’re investing in and taking care of parents. There is a chart on EDD on How Your Weekly Benefit Amount is Calculated where you can see an estimate or calculate your potential payment.
Disability Benefits for After Delivery
After delivery, you will still be on State Disability Insurance (SDI) leave for your benefit payment. You will get 6 weeks of leave for a natural birth or 8 weeks of leave for a C-section delivery. EDD will pay the same as prepartum leave at 70-90% of wages with a maximum pay of $1,681. This benefit is not taxed. If you’re lucky, some companies may even top off your leave benefits to 100% of your wages.
What you need to do:
- Once baby arrives, update your delivery date with EDD and your company. Your estimated delivery date may not be the same as the date of delivery since baby can come early or late.
- If you did NOT take prepartum leave, apply to EDD to get State Disability Insurance (SDI) on the first day of your leave (your delivery date). There is a 7-day unpaid waiting period. If you already took prepartum leave, your disability benefits will continue and you don’t have the waiting period again.
- Recover from your delivery and enjoy your bundle(s) of joy. Good luck with the lack of sleep!
- (Optional) Extend your disability leave if you or your baby has medical complications. Disability Insurance (DI) can give you up to 52 weeks of paid benefits. If you need to extend, you must apply before you start Paid Family Leave.
Bonding Benefits for After Disability Leave
After you finish taking disability leave, you can take bonding leave under Paid Family Leave (PFL). This provides up to 8 weeks of paid benefits. EDD will pay the same as disability leave at 70-90% of wages with a maximum pay of $1,681. This benefit will be taxed.
What you need to do:
- Apply for PFL the first day you start bonding leave. This is the day after you finished disability leave. There is no waiting period for PFL.
- Note: You can take PFL/bonding leave any time within 12 months after your baby’s date of birth (or date they entered the family through foster or adoption).
- Enjoy bonding time with your baby <3
Job Aid with Overview on CA Maternity Leave
Below is a quick guide to Maternity Leave in California with a breakdown for prepartum, recovery, and bonding leave. Hope this helps!
Resources
- Leave for Pregnancy Disability and Child Bonding: Quick Reference Guide – Job aid from California Civil Rights Department with frequently asked questions on Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), California Family Rights Act (CFRA) Leave – Child Bonding, and Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Disability Insurance – Pregnancy FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about EDD’s Disability Insurance.
- Pregnancy-Disability-Leave-Fact-Sheet – More information on Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL).
- California Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about EDD’s Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL).
- Family and Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA).
- Paid Family Leave for Mothers – Information from EDD on Paid Family Leave (PFL).
How was your maternity leave? If you live in another state, what is maternity leave like in your area?
