Frequently Asked Questions about the California Family Rights Act
CFRA stands for the California Family Rights Act. It provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for their own serious health condition, to care for a qualifying family member, or to bond with a new child. CFRA protects the employee's job but does not provide pay.
CFRA itself is unpaid. However, employees may receive partial wage replacement through California programs such as Paid Family Leave (PFL) or State Disability Insurance (SDI), depending on the reason for the leave and eligibility for those programs.
An employee may qualify for CFRA if they work for a California employer with 5 or more employees, have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, and have worked 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave starts.
Eligible employees can take up to 12 workweeks of CFRA leave in a 12-month period. Employers choose how the 12-month period is measured, such as a calendar year, rolling year, or another approved method.
A serious health condition under CFRA generally includes an illness, injury, impairment, or mental or physical condition requiring inpatient care or ongoing treatment by a healthcare provider. CFRA also covers care for qualifying family members with serious health conditions.
Yes. CFRA may be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule when medically necessary or when caring for a covered family member. Employers may require medical certification to support intermittent or reduced-schedule leave.
Employers may request medical certification or supporting documentation, depending on the reason for CFRA leave. Employees are typically given a set deadline to return completed forms. Employers cannot require a medical diagnosis to be disclosed.
Yes. CFRA provides job protection, meaning an employee must generally be reinstated to the same or a comparable position at the end of approved CFRA leave, as long as they return to work on time and remain eligible.
When CFRA leave ends, the employee is expected to return to work. If the employee cannot return, the employer may need to evaluate other leave options or reasonable accommodation obligations under disability or state employment laws.
CFRA protection ends after the 12-week entitlement is exhausted. However, an employer cannot automatically terminate an employee without considering other legal obligations, such as disability accommodation, anti-retaliation rules, and consistent application of company policy.