California law provides up to 17-1/3 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave for employees who are disabled as a result of their pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Employees are eligible for this leave regardless of length of service or hours worked. Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) can be taken for reasons, such as:

• Prenatal care;
• Severe morning sickness;
• Doctor-ordered bed rest;
• Childbirth;
• Recovery from childbirth; or
• Assisted reproductive treatment

PDL generally runs concurrently with leave under FMLA, but not with leave under CFRA.

Pregnant employees are also entitled to reasonable accommodations, such as light duty, reassignment, modified work schedules or additional leave, if required by the pregnancy.

Employees disabled by pregnancy regardless of the length of City service.

Employees are eligible for up to 17-1/3 workweeks but the amount of leave required is determined by the employee’s health care provider.

The leave is unpaid, however, employees are required to use accrued sick pay and may elect to use other accrued leave, such as vacation, to receive pay.  Accrued leave can also supplement available wage replacement benefits, such as  State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Parental Leave.

To request PDL, complete and return Request for Leave and Leave Protections  and Certification of Healthcare Provider - Employee  forms to a designated human resources representative, manager or supervisor. Employees may be required to provide medical certification supporting the need for leave or accommodations.

For more information, please refer to Frequently Asked Questions about Pregnancy Disability Leave from the Civil Rights Department.

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA) require covered employers to provide eligible employees with up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for bonding with a newborn, adopted child, or child placed for foster care.

Employees who:

• Have been employed by the City for 12 months (need not to be continuous); AND
• Have worked 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of leave.

FMLA and CFRA provide up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within a rolling 12-month period. If the leave is taken intermittently or as a part-time schedule the entitlement is converted to an equivalent number of work hours. Full-time employees may take up to 480 hours of protected leave (based on a 40-hour workweek).Leave taken for child bonding must be taken within 12 months of the child’s arrival.

Leave taken for child bonding must be taken within 12 months of the child’s arrival.

FMLA and CFRA are unpaid, however, employees may be required, or may elect, to use accrued sick leave, vacation, CTO and floating holidays.

Employees who pay SDI taxes may receive California’s Paid Family Leave benefit which provides up to six weeks of partial wage replacement when taking time off work to bond with a new child. Refer to the Paid Family Leave Fact Sheet  for more information.

To request leave for child bonding, complete and return a Request for Leave and Leave Protections form  to a designated human resources representative, manager or supervisor.

Civil Service Rules provide discretionary unpaid Family Care Leave to permanent employees to bond with a newborn, adopted child, or child placed for foster care.

Permanent employees who have been employed by the City for at least one year and who do not qualify for, or have exhausted entitlements under, FMLA and CFRA.

Departments have the discretion to grant up to one year of leave.

Family Care Leave is unpaid, however, employees may be required, or may elect, to use accrued sick pay, vacation, CTO and floating holidays.

Employees who pay SDI taxes may receive California’s Paid Family Leave benefit which provides up to six weeks of partial wage replacement when taking time off work to bond with a new child. Refer to the Paid Family Leave Fact Sheet  for more information.

To request Family Care Leave, complete and return a Request for Leave and Leave Protections form  to a designated human resources representative, manager or supervisor. Employees may be required to submit additional information such as proof of birth, placement or adoption.

The San Francisco Charter provides compensation to ensure that City employees receive their full salary for up to 12 workweeks for non-birth parents, or 16 workweeks for birth parents, while on a qualifying family medical leave for the birth, adoption or placement of a child.

This compensation is available to employees who have completed:

• At least six (6) months of continuous service, working at least 20 hours per week, OR
• Employees who have worked 1,040 hours within the 12 months preceding the leave and whose average work week is not less than 20 hours.

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) ensures employees receive their full base wage even after exhausting  accrued vacation, CTO and floating holidays. Employees may retain 40 hours of accrued sick pay and still receive the PPL benefit.

This wage replacement benefit is available for up to 12 workweeks for child bonding, or up to 16 workweeks for any combination of pregnancy-related disability and child bonding.

PPL supplements accrued paid leave, SDI and PFL to ensure employees receive 12 or 16 weeks of full salary while on leave for child bonding or pregnancy-related disability.

Yes, PPL is a wage replacement. PPL can supplement accrued leave, SDI and/or PFL. However employees cannot receive more than 100% of their base salary when combining PPL with accrued leave or other wage replacement benefits.

To request PPL, complete and return the following forms to a designated human resources representative, manager or supervisor.

Forms:

• Paid Parental Leave Authorization to Use Accrued Leave Credits
• Paid Parental Leave Employee Acknowledgement

• Paid Parental Leave Policy & Procedures