Not legal, medical, or financial advice
California Leave Planner is an educational planning tool designed to help you understand and navigate your parental leave options. Nothing on this platform constitutes legal, medical, financial, or HR advice of any kind.
Leave eligibility, benefit amounts, and timelines depend on your specific employment situation, employer policies, and current California and federal law. Verify important details with your employer’s HR department and the EDD.
Based solely on information you provide
All plans, timelines, and pay estimates are generated based only on the information you enter. We do not verify employment records, medical conditions, or eligibility with EDD, your employer, or any government agency. California Leave Planner is not responsible for decisions made based on this plan.
AI chat is a guide, not a professional
The leave consultant chat is powered by an AI language model designed to help you understand your California leave rights. While it provides helpful, research-based guidance, it may not account for every nuance of your specific situation. For complex situations, cross-reference key details directly with your HR department or EDD.
Pay estimates are approximations
Weekly pay estimates use the 2026 SB 951 formula: 90% of wages for lower earners and 70% for higher earners, subject to the EDD weekly benefit cap of $1,765/week for claims starting on or after January 1, 2026. We estimate your rate from the annual salary you enter, assuming steady pay. EDD instead uses your highest-earning quarter within your base period — a 12-month window ending roughly 5 to 18 months before your claim begins — so your actual payment may differ, especially if your income varied or you had gaps in work. Check myEDD at edd.ca.gov for the wages on record for you. These figures change every January, and the schedule that applies to you is set by the year your claim begins. This app currently uses the 2026 schedule. California Leave Planner is not affiliated with EDD or any government agency.
Eligibility is estimated, not verified
Job-protected bonding leave under CFRA and FMLA requires 12 months of employment and 1,250 hours actually worked in the 12 months before your leave begins. We estimate this from the answers you give us — we cannot see your timesheets or payroll records.
Only your employer can confirm your official recorded hours. If you are close to the 1,250-hour threshold, or if your hours vary week to week, request your hours in writing from HR before you plan your leave. Note that SDI, PFL, and PDL do not have an hours requirement.
Privacy
Information you enter — including your name, due date, salary, and employment details — is used solely to generate your personalized plan within this session. We do not sell or share your personal data with third parties.