California Pregnancy and Maternity Leave – How to Survive 7 Months
From Articles by Kevin Haney
California Maternity Leave
Four laws combine to provide a working woman in California nearly 7 months of protection: Pregnancy Disability Leave, Family Medical Leave, Short Term Disability (SDI), and Paid Family Leave. But the partially paid leave means taking at least a 45% pay cut during this time. Buy supplemental short term disability insurance before getting pregnant to help you survive financially if you miss seven months of work.
California Pregnancy and Maternity Laws
The California Pregnancy Disability Leave law protects your job for up to four months for bed rest, child birth, and recovery from child birth. The Family Rights Act allows for 12 weeks of job protected leave to bond with your baby. California Short Term Disability Insurance (SDI) replaces up to 55% of your income.
How to Survive 7 Months with a 45% Pay Cut
A 55% income replacement means a 45% pay cut. This policy will help fill the hole in the California state coverage by increasing your level of income replacement. Both policies will cover your normal labor and delivery, as well as any time missed before delivery for medical complications.
State Maternity Leave Benefits – Who Are the Winners and Losers?
Collecting state maternity leave benefits is a hit or miss proposition. Many women assume that the federal or state government will automatically provide at least some level of maternity leave pay when they deliver their baby. There is no federal government program, and only five states have mandated short term disability programs in place. Women working in one of the forty five states with no mandated state programs have to plan ahead, and find the right coverage before getting pregnant.
Many European countries mandate a significant level of paid maternity leave benefits. Not so in the United States. Five states have state mandated short term disability insurance which pays a benefit for a normal maternity leave: California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. That leaves forty five states with no paid maternity leave coverage at all.
If you live in one of the states with mandated coverage consider yourself lucky – up to a point. The New York state disability program illustrates this best. The New York state disability program replaces up to fifty percent of income, and caps out at $170 per week. The $170 per week cap represents fifty percent income replacement for a woman earning $17,680 annually.
For a state with very high incomes, the NY level of income replacement is nominal. Fortunately, they can purchase individual short term disability that covers pregnancy and maternity leave. Provided they purchase a policy before getting pregnant, an individual short term disability insurance policy will cover their normal labor and delivery – creating maternity leave pay.
Make Your California State Pregnancy and Maternity Leave Benefits Work Harder
Can you pay your bills for 18 weeks on a 45% pay cut? Ask yourself this question if you are planning a pregnancy and work in California.
California has state mandated pregnancy, maternity leave, and paid family leave benefits which can extend for up to 18 weeks.
18 Weeks of Pregnancy & Maternity Benefits
4 weeks before your delivery via California SDI
8 weeks after your delivery (c-section delivery) via SDI
What’s your CA Maternity Income Gap?
Are you Covered?
Government workers, teachers, domestic workers, non-profit employees, contract workers, and employees who claim a religious exemption often are not covered. The California short term disability insurance plan mandate covers private workers only.
Fill the CA Maternity Leave Gap
Supplemental Short Term Disability Insurance can fill the gap in your CA maternity leave pay. It pays pays an additional six week benefit for your vaginal delivery, and an eight week benefit for your c-section birth. Your maternity leave benefit may greatly exceed the premium you pay.
Create maternity leave income
Spend more time bonding with your baby
Worry less about paying your bills
Pregnancy complications
Delivery complications
Premature birth
Please check information about pregnancy scrapbook!
