We wish to inform you of a significant upcoming change to the California Paid Family Leave (PFL) law that will take effect on January 1, 2025. This amendment will impact your company's current PFL policies and procedures, particularly regarding the use of accrued vacation time by employees before accessing PFL benefits.
Key Changes to the California PFL Law:
Current Provision: Under the existing California PFL law, eligible employees are entitled to take time off to care for a seriously ill family member, bond with a new child, or participate in a qualifying family member’s military event. Employers were permitted to require these employees to use up to two weeks of their accrued vacation time before they could access PFL benefits.
Effective January 1, 2025: The requirement for employees to exhaust up to two weeks of accrued vacation before accessing PFL benefits will be eliminated. Starting from January 1, 2025, employers will no longer be allowed to impose this condition on employees seeking to use PFL benefits.
Implications for Your Business:
This legislative update necessitates a review and potential revision of your company's PFL policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the new law. It is crucial to communicate these changes effectively to your employees to ensure they are fully informed of their rights under the updated PFL regulations.
Recommended Actions:
Policy Review and Update your company policy.
Employee Communication: Develop a communication plan to inform your employees about the changes.
Training for Managers: Provide training for your management team on the updated PFL law to prepare them to handle employee inquiries and manage PFL requests in accordance with the new regulations.
QUESTIONS? Contact our office.