Californians who are not ready and able to work can take the leave guaranteed by the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). But, they are not the only ones who can take the leave.

Workers that are able to stay productive on the job can also take time off work to make sure they do not use any time they need to grow a family.

Serious Health Condition

Workers that take medical leave to heal from a serious health condition can not stay productive on the job. Their leave time is used to recover from an illness, an injury, an impairment, or a physical or mental health condition and return to a health condition they can count on at work. They need to choose the use of their time carefully or they can do damage to their ability to work their job, or even a successful career.

Their health condition has to be weakened enough for them to need either inpatient care or continuing treatment or supervision. When a doctor certifies their condition is this serious, the employer can not disagree. Their worker has a right to take leave for up to 12 weeks in a 12 month period. The inpatient care is given at a hospital, a hospice or a residential health care facility. A health care provider gives the continuing supervision.

Return To Work

When a worker on medical leave gets healthy again, they have to return to work. A worker that decides not to return to work even though their serious health condition has healed and has not come back again can lose their group health plan coverage. Employers do not have to continue the coverage a worker has a right to get for up to 12 weeks while they are healing from the condition. Californians do not have to take any risks with their health, but they do have to work as soon as they can and end their use of CFRA leave.

Pregnancy an Childbirth

The time Californians take off work during pregnancy and childbirth is used to help them give all the attention and care they need for their health and their new child. The leave is valuable even though they are not unable to work. Work does not have to be unsafe or too difficult for a Californian to take CFRA leave. California calls the health condition a worker is in while a mother is pregnant or giving birth disability, but that does not mean a worker has to be unable to work. The 12 weeks leave was protected by the law to make sure expecting parents can stay comfortable while having a new child and making a secure and good home. Work is a real family responsibility that can wait.

Healthy Opportunities

California workers do not have to break their back by working and keeping the time short they use to take care of their health and live their life outside of work. They can take life easier and dedicate their time to care at home.

Source:

California Family Rights Act, in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (1993).