California’s Paid Family Leave Act Is Less Onerous Than Predicted

In 2002, Gov. Gray Davis signed into law the Paid Family Leave Act (PFL), providing insurance benefits for eligible employees on family leave. PFL is a form of coverage under California’s State Disability Insurance (SDI) program, which originally covered only employees on leave for their own disability.

Under PFL, employees may get partial wage replacement if they take time off from work to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child.