Do I Qualify for Paid Parental Leave in California?
4 Steps to Determining if You Qualify for SDI and PFL in CA
When I was pregnant with my first daughter an endless list of questions circled my brain. Do I need this bouncy chair or this bouncy chair? What will breastfeeding be like? Is the ring of fire as bad as they say? And, do I qualify for paid parental leave?
Up until a few months before I was due I had been teaching indoor cycling and barre, but at seven-months pregnant I physically just couldn’t handle it anymore so I stopped working. I called it parental leave, but really I had just flat out stopped working and stopped collecting a paycheck. Because I was no longer working, I assumed I didn’t qualify for California’s parental leave benefits and didn’t apply.
Now that I’ve turned my career on its head and am a parental leave consultant I know better. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I missed out on thousands of dollars of parental leave benefits because I just didn’t realize I qualified.
I’m going to make sure this doesn’t happen to you. You are not going to make the same mistakes I did. You are not going to leave thousands of dollars on the table because I’m going to help you right now figure out whether or not you qualify for paid parental leave benefits in California.
It might get a little confusing along the way, but hang in there. It’s worth it!
To start, let's first define the terms. State Disability Insurance or SDI is available to workers who are unable to work due to a disability, injury, or illness that is not work-related, like pregnancy and childbirth. Paid family leave or PFL, on the other hand, is available to people who need to take time off work to care for a new child or ill family member, like when you have, adopt or foster a child.
So how do I know if I qualify for SDI of PFL?
Of course, there isn’t a simple answer but if you can answer yes to this question you likely qualify:
-Is CASDI listed as a payroll deduction on my paystub?
If your answer is yes, great, you (probably) qualify for SDI and PFL in California. And if you answered no, don’t give up yet, because we’ll get into all the fine print below and you might end up qualifying!
Let’s get into the details.
Step 1: Is CASDI listed on your paystub?
The most important qualifier when determining if you qualify for California state disability insurance and paid family leave is that you must have paid into the California State Disability Insurance program through payroll deductions.
Payroll deduction? Payroll deductions are the line items deducted from your paycheck like state or federal taxes, 401K, or social security. The deduction that qualifies you for SDI and PFL in CA is California State Disability Insurance, which is usually coded as CASDI on your paystub.
If it's there you probably qualify. (We'll talk about the probably part below.) If it's not there, ask HR because sometimes the deduction code is different. If CASDI is not a deduction on your paystub, chances are you will not qualify for SDI or PFL. Many government workers, including most public teachers and law enforcement, do not pay into CASDI and don't qualify for SDI or PFL. If you don't qualify, make sure to ask your HR about other ways you can receive pay during your parental leave like through a private short-term disability program or through your company's parental leave program.
How much will I get paid during SDI and PFL?
Step 2: Are you pregnant or not?
If you do pay into CASDI, the next step is to determine whether you are eligible for SDI or PFL or both.
All new parents regardless of gender or birthing status (birth, adoption or foster placement) will qualify for PFL.
But only pregnant people will also qualify for SDI.
SDI also covers other medical conditions that make you unable to work, but for parental leave, only pregnant people are automatically covered. And SDI doesn’t just cover you after you have your baby. SDI also covers you while you’re pregnant! Once you are 36 weeks pregnant, CA state disability insurance automatically considers you disabled, meaning you can stop working and get partially paid. Additionally, SDI automatically provides 6 weeks after the birth of a baby for a vaginal delivery or 8 weeks for a C-section. But SDI is not limited to this timeframe. If you have complications in your pregnancy earlier than 36 weeks or more than 6-8 weeks after delivery, your doctor can extend your disability up to 52 weeks.
In short, pregnant people or the birthing parent can qualify for SDI and PFL. Non-birthing parents will only qualify for PFL because they are not disabled due to pregnancy or birth.
Step 3: Did you pay into CASDI during your base period?
Here is where things get a bit more confusing, but stay with me! We’re almost there.
To qualify for SDI and PFL you must have paid into CASDI five to 18 months (your base period) before your claim date. Let’s talk about these terms: base period and claim date. Your base period is the time period five to 18 months before your claim date. The EDD also uses your base period to determine how much you’ll be paid during SDI and PFL. Your claim date is your first day of your parental leave, which for pregnant people is likely 4 weeks before your due date and for fathers and other non-birthing parents is the day your baby is born.
Step 4: Did you earn at least $300 during your base period?
And lastly, to qualify for SDI and PFL, you also need to have earned at least $300 in wages from the employer your CASDI was deducted from during your base period.
That’s it! Do you qualify for SDI and PFL? If so, you’re eligible for a minimum of 8 weeks of partially paid leave! That amount bumps up to a minimum of 18 weeks of partially paid leave if you are pregnant!
Now that you know if you qualify for disability and paid family leave, your next question is probably, how much will I get paid. Check out this post on calculating how much you’ll get paid.
If you're still not sure whether you qualify for SDI and PFL or if you have a unique situation and need help determining your eligibility, I’m here to help. Book a consulting call with me! We'll chat over Zoom and I'll make sure you have all the information you need to confidently navigate your parental leave and make sure you get all the paid parental leave you deserve.
The Park helps new and expecting parents navigate parental leave so they can max out their job-protected and paid leave, return to work feeling supported, and thrive as working parents. We answer all your questions and give you all the tips and tricks you need to advocate for yourself on TikTok and Instagram, 1:1 consulting calls, and through our CA Parental Leave Benefits Guide.
