Other Leaves: California

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Author: Annie Lau, Fisher Phillips

Summary

• There are various types of leave that may be available to an employee in California. See Leaves of Absence.
• A covered employer must provide eligible employees with up to five days of bereavement leave for the death of a family member. See Bereavement Leave.
• A covered employer must provide eligible employees with a leave of absence following a reproductive loss event. See Leave for Reproductive Loss.
• California employers may be required to provide family and medical leave, pregnancy disability, paid family leave, kin care leave and family military leave under state law. See Family and Medical Leave.
• A covered employer must provide eligible employees who are bone marrow or organ donors with a job-protected paid leave of absence as well as an additional unpaid leave for organ donation. See Bone Marrow and Organ Donor Leave.
• A covered employer must provide up to 40 hours of leave each year to a parent, grandparent or guardian of a pupil to participate in activities at the child's school, including a day care facility. See School Activities Leave.
• Employees may take leave to appear at their child's or legal ward's school in relation to a discipline issue. See School Discipline Leave.
• California employers must provide paid sick and safe leave to eligible employees. See Paid Sick Leave.
• All employers must provide an employee who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and certain other crimes with unpaid leave. Additional leave requirements apply to employers with 25 or more employees. See Domestic Violence and Crime Victim Leave.
• All employers must provide an employee who is a crime victim with leave to appear as a witness in court under a subpoena or court order, to attend judicial proceedings related to a violent crime or serious felony and to appear in court to be heard at any proceeding in which a victim's rights are at issue. See Leave to Attend Judicial Proceedings.
• California employers may not terminate or discriminate against employees for taking time off to serve on a jury. See Jury Duty Leave.
• Employees who do not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote in a statewide election may take off enough time to vote. See Voting Leave.
• An employee may take leave to serve as an election officer. See Election Official Leave.
• Employees may take time off to perform emergency duty or to receive training as a volunteer firefighter, a reserve peace officer or emergency rescue personnel. See Emergency Responder Leave.
• Employees who are not able to work because of an industrial injury are entitled to benefits and leave. See Industrial Injury Leave.
• California law provides leave rights to military servicemembers and Civil Air Patrol members. See Military Leave.
• Covered employers are required to accommodate employees who reveal a literacy problem and request assistance to enroll in an education program. See Literacy Leave and Accommodation.
• Covered employers must reasonably accommodate employees by providing unpaid time off to any employee who voluntarily enters and participates in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program. See Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Leave.
• Localities including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco have requirements pertaining to other leaves. See Local Requirements.