Why is CA maternity leave such an enigma? There are four types of leave (PDL, FMLA, PFL, & CFRA). Some are concurrent and some are not. Some apply to small business and some don't. Yes, it can be very confusing. But if you work in HR for a company of 10,000 or so employees shouldn't you be able to figure it out? I'm not the first one to have a baby.

I don't know if HR really doesn't understand the laws, if they are purposely trying to minimize leave, or if they assume nobody can afford a few weeks of unpaid leave. I'm just glad I was warned not to trust HR departments for accurate leave information.

HR emailed me this morning saying my leave is up and asking when I was going to show up. I was surprised by this because I was approved for 18 weeks of leave in January before I left. I pointed that out and that I am still on CFRA leave. Paid disability (6 weeks) + California Family Rights Act (12 weeks) = 18 weeks = July 1st. They responded by saying all leave is concurrent (for a total of 12 weeks) but they will "allow" me to take 18 weeks since they signed my request before I left on leave.

Oh. Hells. No. That is my right, not some favor. CFRA comes after PDL, not concurrent. I know I'm being harsh and that's just mama bear having to think about getting LO in daycare a month earlier. Besides, if they really thought I had a 12 week leave why did they wait until 14 weeks to ask where I was?

I will craft a polite response to HR with proper sources for leave information so the can provide the next people with accurate information.

(It will be really embarrassing if I'm somehow wrong on this. I hate that new mama brain prevents me from being 100% confident about anything.)

From CA.gov
"At the end of an employee's period(s) of pregnancy disability leave, a CFRA-eligible employee may request a CFRA leave of up to 12 workweeks for reason of birth of her child if the child has been born by this date."