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Employees in Los Angeles have rights under both California and federal law that protect against pregnancy-related discrimination and provide time off for pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions. A maternity leave lawyer can help you understand how these protections apply to your situation and what steps you can take next.
If your employer has denied your pregnancy or maternity leave rights, call us at 310-987-4226 or complete the contact form on this page to speak with our legal team.
Here’s a summary of the key laws and rights:
Eligibility: Employees in California who work for Los Angeles employers with 5 or more employees are eligible for PDL.
Duration: Up to 4 months (about 17 1/3 weeks) of leave for a woman who is disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.
Pay: PDL is unpaid, but Los Angeles employees can use any accrued sick leave during this time and may be eligible for state disability insurance (SDI) benefits.
Eligibility: Los Angeles employees who have worked for their employer for at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months prior to their leave and work at a location with at least 5 employees are eligible.
Duration: Up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. This is in addition to any time taken under PDL, essentially allowing some employees to take up to 7 months off.
Pay: Leave is unpaid, but Los Angeles employees can use accrued paid leave (like vacation or sick leave) during this time.
Eligibility: Similar to CFRA, but applies to employers with 50 or more employees. Employees must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the year prior to the start of leave.
Duration: Up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth and care of the newborn child, among other reasons. FMLA runs concurrently with CFRA and PDL when applicable.
Pay: Unpaid, but employees can use accrued paid leave.
Eligibility: Most workers who have paid into State Disability Insurance (SDI) are eligible.
Duration: Up to 8 weeks of benefit payments, but does not provide job protection by itself. It can be used in conjunction with CFRA or FMLA leave.
Pay: Approximately 60-70% of wages, depending on income.
Job Protection: Employees are generally entitled to return to their same or a comparable position at the end of their pregnancy or parental leave.
Health Insurance: Employers must continue group health coverage during PDL or CFRA leave on the same terms as if the employee continued to work.
California law prohibits discrimination against pregnant employees. Employers cannot fire, demote, or discriminate against employees for being pregnant or taking leave.
It’s important for employees to communicate with their employers about their need for pregnancy or parental leave. The specific rights and procedures can vary based on individual circumstances, so it might also be helpful to consult with a legal professional for personalized advice.
Common ways maternity leave rights are undermined can be subtle, such as reducing your hours, changing your schedule, moving you to less favorable assignments, denying accommodations, or creating performance “paperwork” shortly after you request leave.
In other situations, the violation is direct: refusing to approve leave you qualify for, threatening termination, or failing to reinstate you to the same or a comparable position. If you are experiencing these issues, a review by experienced employment lawyers and discrimination lawyers can help you understand whether the conduct may support a legal claim with a maternity leave discrimination lawyer.
What you do next matters. If you can, keep a simple timeline of events and save relevant documents: emails, texts, scheduling changes, doctor’s notes you provided, written leave requests, and any HR responses.
You do not need to have every detail figured out before you reach out. If something feels wrong, you can use the contact form below to request a confidential review of your situation.
If you are searching for Los Angeles maternity leave lawyers because your employer is making leave difficult, pressuring you to return early, or treating you differently after you disclose a pregnancy, you deserve clear answers about your rights and options.
Matern Law Group is focused on employment law, and our team helps you understand what the law requires, what your employer can and cannot do, and what steps may be available to protect your job and income.
Our practices are guided by integrity. We’ll protect what you deserve.
We work tirelessly and fight tenaciously to hold employee leave abusers accountable.
If you’ve experienced a distressing incident related to an issue like this, call us for a free case evaluation.
No. Claims can involve denial of leave, demotion, reduced hours, retaliation, or harassment, even if you are still employed. A maternity leave lawyer in Los Angeles can help you evaluate whether what happened may qualify as a legal violation.
Depending on the facts, you may have reinstatement rights. A lawyer can help you evaluate whether the explanation is lawful or a pretextual.
Yes. We assist clients throughout Southern California, and we can discuss whether a neighboring county matter is a fit during your consultation.
If you have them, bring your job title, a brief timeline, and any key emails/texts or HR documents. If you do not, you can still start the conversation.
Matern Law Group offers free consultations for many employment matters, including pregnancy and leave-related concerns.
Legal cases can be lengthy, complicated, and confusing, but you don’t have to take on the system all by yourself. If you believe someone has violated your individual rights, or the rights of a large group of people in your community, we can help you find the right course of action.
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