California’s recent paid family leave law

On January 1, 2004 California became the first state to mandate Paid Family Leave for workers who take time off to care for a sick family member. This change is a sub set to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). This act is based on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which is a federal law. As a foundation to understanding the pending changes in California it is necessary to obtain an overview of the FMLA. Despite their best intentions, employers and human resource professionals find themselves unintentionally violating some portion of the FMLA due to complicated definitions and technical requirements. This article is written from the perspective of an employer in order to highlight dominant features of the FMLA and California’s Paid Family Leave. It is increasingly important for companies to adopt policies and procedures that will ensure compliance with all requirements going forward. Otherwise, the consequences could be costly.