What is a Parental Leave of Absence?

Parental leave allows employees, regardless of gender, to take a period of time not to exceed thirteen bi-weekly pay periods (six months) to fulfill parenting responsibilities during the period of one year following their child’s birth, or one year following the placement of a child with an employee via adoption or foster care. Employees who must assume custody of a minor are also eligible. Employees may use accrued vacation, comp time, holiday credits, and/or up to 30 working days of sick time during their parental leave. However, there is no requirement for an employee to use any of their accrued paid time. This type of leave also needs to be evaluated for FMLA/CFRA eligibility. Please keep in mind that if eligible, the CFRA guarantees new parents the right to take up to 12 weeks of parental leave, so if you have a situation where you are considering denying parental leave in whole or in part, please call Employee & Labor Relations first.