Maternity Leave

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a new federal law that further defines reasonable accommodations to include qualified pregnant employees with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause an undue hardship.

Employees seeking reasonable accommodations can visit the Reasonable Accommodations website for more information and instructions on submitting a reasonable accommodation request. Employees should contact the ADA Coordinator for accommodation requests.

Type of leave credits used during the PDL period: Sick leave credits and/or NDI.

Pregnancy Disability Leave is an unpaid leave for a period of actual disability caused by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. PDL is provided for a maximum of four (4) months, as medically needed. The law requires California employers to:

• Provide reasonable accommodations or transfers or time off to female employees per the criteria stated in the PDL Act for a period of up to four (4) months per pregnancy.
• Continue coverage under a group insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision, employer paid life insurance, and long-term-disability (if applicable) for a period of up to four (4) months over the course of a 12-month period on behalf of benefits eligible female employees who are on PDL because of disability due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

Although PDL is a leave entitlement, usage of the leave is only applicable for the period that the employee is “disabled by pregnancy or childbirth.” The period designated as PDL is determined by the employee’s health care provider.

CSU policy requires employees in classifications that earn leave credits, to apply the appropriate accrued leave credits (such as sick leave) to PDL to maintain pay status during the disabled period. In addition, a female employee disabled due to pregnancy or childbirth, or related condition, may also be eligible for Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI), administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD). An employee must use all accrued sick leave credits before any NDI benefits may be paid. EDD does not require an employee to exhaust vacation leave credits to qualify for NDI.

Visit Non-Industrial Disability Insurance to review benefit amount based on the employee’s category/collective bargaining unit and eligibility requirements.

This type of leave is not charged against the employee's leave credits.

Employee shall be entitled up to a maximum of thirty (30) workdays Parental Leave with pay which shall commence within sixty (60) days of the arrival of a new child(ren).

Faculty Only:

Up to thirty (30) workdays with pay which shall commence within a one hundred and thirty-five (135) day period beginning sixty (60) days prior to the anticipated arrival date of a new child and ending seventy-five (75) days after the arrival of a new child due to birth, adoption, or foster care. Runs concurrently with other maternity/paternity, pregnancy disability and/or family care. Normally, fifteen (15) days of earned sick leave may be charged after concluding the 30-day parental leave entitlement.

Visit Parental/Adoption Leave to learn more. Faculty members have additional flexibility such as leave sharing and reduction of workload in lieu of parental leave.

Type of leave credits used during the EC period: Vacation, CTO etc., sick leave credits are no longer applicable after the end of the disability period related to pregnancy. A leave without pay is contingent upon the number of leave credits that are available.

FML provides eligible employees with the equivalent of up to 12 weeks of leave. Visit Family Medical Leave for additional information and eligibility requirements.

*PL and FML run concurrently

Type of leave credits used during the EC period: Vacation, CTO etc., sick leave credits are no longer applicable after the end of the disability period related to pregnancy. A leave without pay is contingent upon the number of leave credits that are available.

The EC Maternity Leave provides eligible permanent female employees with up to 12 months of time off due to pregnancy/childbirth. ECML tracks with California Pregnancy Disability Leave (CPDL) and CSU Family Medical Leave (CSU FML), and an employee may utilize leave credits before going on any unpaid portion of ECML.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement may take precedence, refer to the "Leaves of Absence Without Pay" section of the appropriate CBA for additional information and eligibility.