On April 11, 2016, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 908 which amends certain provisions of California’s Unemployment Insurance Code as it relates to the State’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program.  Before explaining the amendments provided for under AB 908, I think it is important to clarify something that is too often misstated in the press.  Despite its name, California’s PFL program is not a statutory leave of absence program that guarantees paid family leave to employees in California.  Instead, it is a partial wage replacement benefit for eligible employees who are on some other authorized statutory or discretionary leave of absence from work.  As such, employees do not have the right to “take leave” under the PFL program.
Continue Reading Governor Brown Signs Bill to Expand the Amount of Wage Replacement Available under California’s Paid Family Leave Law

By:  Vida L. ThomasVida Thomas 04_final

The 2014/2015 California legislative session may go down as one of the most productive in the state’s  history, in terms of legislation passed and signed into law.  According to the Associated Press, Governor Brown signed 808 bills, and vetoed 133 others.   Lest employers worry that they were left out of the