In California, eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to bond with a new child within one year of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement. This leave is provided under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and runs concurrently with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave

. Key details about baby bonding leave in California include:

• The 12 weeks of bonding leave are in addition to any pregnancy disability leave an employee may take under California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) law

• The leave can be taken in increments, typically in blocks of two weeks, and on two occasions, shorter increments are allowed

• Eligibility requires that the employee has worked for the employer for at least 12 months and has worked at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months

• Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits provide up to 8 weeks of partial wage replacement during bonding leave, which must be claimed within one year of the child’s arrival

Therefore, the bonding leave period itself is up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job- protected leave, with up to 8 weeks of paid benefits available through PFL. The bonding leave must be used within the first year after the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement