As the situation in the Middle East progresses, and National Guard and Reservists are called to serve, employers will likely have employees who require leave of absence to fulfill their obligations to the military. While under federal law, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) guarantees the rights of military service members to
Paid Family Leave
Senate Bill 590: California’s State Paid Family Leave Extended to Cover Leave for Designated Persons
Recently, California’s Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 590, which expands eligibility for benefits under the state paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off to care for a seriously ill designated person.
In 2022, the state passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1041, which allowed employees to take leave to care for…
Updated Rates for California EDD Benefits and San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance for 2024
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has released the 2024 Voluntary Plan Employee Contribution and Benefit Rate.
Employers with employees located in California are generally required to withhold and send state disability contributions to the EDD.
Of note, Senate Bill (SB) 951, which was signed in 2022, eliminated the Maximum Contribution and Taxable…
California Revises Formula for Paid Family Leave and State Disability Insurance Benefits to Assist Lower Wage Earners
After vetoing a similar bill last year, on September 30, 2022, California Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 951, which increases wage replacement rates for lower wage earners under the state Paid Family Leave program (PFL) and State Disability Insurance (SDI) programs.
Starting in 2025, workers who earn 70 percent or less than the…
Paid Family Leave Grant for Small Employers
California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program, which is administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD) provides eligible employees with up to 8 weeks of wage replacement benefits when an employee is off work for certain qualifying reasons.
Businesses with employees using PFL may have increased costs such as cross-training existing staff and hiring and…
Updated Rates for California EDD Benefits and San Francisco Paid Family Leave Ordinance
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has released the Voluntary Plan Employee Contribution and Benefit Rates for 2022.
Employers with employees located in California are generally required to withhold and send state disability contributions to the EDD. The 2022 rates are as follows:
| “Employee Contribution Rate” | 1.10% |
| “Taxable Wage Ceiling” (per employee per year) |
…
California’s Paid Family Leave Program – What Employers Need to Know
Recently, the Biden administration announced plans for a federal paid family leave program – something that has been available to California employees for over a decade.
California’s Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) program, which is administered by the California Employment Development Department (“EDD”), provides eligible employees with up to 8 weeks of wage replacement benefits when…
New Year, New Rates for CA EDD Benefits and Under the San Francisco Paid Family Leave Ordinance
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has released the Voluntary Plan Employee Contribution and Benefit Rates for 2021.
Employers are required to withhold and send state disability contributions to the EDD. The 2021 rates are as follows:
| Employee Contribution Rate | 1.2% |
| Taxable Wage Ceiling (per employee per year) | $128,298.00 |
| Maximum Contribution (per employee per |
…
Governor Newsom Signs Legislation Expanding Paid Family Leave for Employees Who Are Participating in a Qualifying Exigency
Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2399 on September 30, 2020, which extended the definitions for Paid Family Leave under Sections 3302 and 3307 of the Unemployment Insurance Code to include additional coverage for active military members and their families. The existing state Paid Family Leave program provided wage replacement benefits to workers who take time…
Expanded Wage Replacement Entitlements for California Employees Caring for Children During COVID-19 School Closures
Before the COVID-19 crisis, there were limited paid leave entitlements in California for employees requiring time off to deal with childcare and school closures. California Labor Code 230.8 required that employers of 25 or more employees working at the same location were required to provide employees with up to 40 hours of unpaid leave within…