California Maternity Leave Calculator

Because you've landed in the plateau band. California's SDI table isn't a simple two-rate formula. EDD pays 90% of your weekly wages if your highest-earning quarter is $722.50-$16,279.90, and 70% if it's $20,931.31 or more. But between those — highest-quarter earnings of $16,279.91 to $20,931.30, which is roughly $65,120 to $83,725 of annual income — the benefit is a FLAT $1,127 per week no matter what you earn. That band exists for a mathematical reason: 90% of the top of the lower band and 70% of the bottom of the upper band both work out to $1,127, so the plateau joins the two curves. Without it, your benefit would actually FALL as your salary rose past $65,120 — you'd get less for earning more. A lot of people land in this band and are surprised their benefit doesn't scale with salary; it's not an error.

Yes. California SDI has an unpaid seven-day waiting period on every new disability claim — the first payable day is the eighth day of your claim. It is NOT paid back retroactively, no matter how long your leave lasts. That is the unpaid week you will see at the start of your timeline: you are on leave, but SDI pays nothing for it. California PFL (bonding leave) is different — it has no waiting period and pays from day one. Many people cover the SDI waiting week with accrued PTO or sick leave; ask HR whether you can.

California doesn't require employers to pay for maternity leave directly — but if you've contributed to State Disability Insurance (SDI) through payroll, the state pays you 90% of your wages if you're a lower earner, 70% if you're a higher earner, and a flat $1,127/week in the band between (roughly $65,120-$83,725 of annual income — where a lot of people land), capped at $1,765/week for 2026. After recovery, Paid Family Leave (PFL) pays the same rate for up to 8 weeks of bonding. Together that's typically 18 weeks of leave for a vaginal delivery, 17 of them paid — SDI's seven-day waiting period makes the first week unpaid. Some employers offer voluntary 'top-up' programs that pay the difference between state benefits and your full salary.

Yes. SDI and PFL eligibility is based on having paid into the system through payroll (typically requires earning $300+ in your base period) — they don't require any minimum tenure or employer size. Even brand-new employees and part-timers can qualify. Federal FMLA's 12 months / 1,250 hours / 50+ employee thresholds only apply to the *job protection* portion. California's PDL and CFRA may offer alternative job protection at smaller employers.

Yes — they're sequential, not concurrent. SDI covers your medical recovery (typically 6 weeks for vaginal, 8 for C-section, plus up to 4 weeks pre-birth disability if certified). After recovery, PFL kicks in for 8 weeks of bonding leave. Together they typically yield 18 weeks of leave for birthing parents — 17 paid, since SDI's seven-day waiting period is unpaid. Non-birthing parents skip SDI and go straight to 8 weeks of PFL bonding.

SDI itself doesn't include job protection — it's a wage replacement program, not a job-protection law. Your job protection comes from federal FMLA (12+ months tenure, 1,250+ hours, 50+ employee employer) OR California's Pregnancy Disability Leave (5+ employee employer, no tenure requirement, up to 4 months of pregnancy disability protection) OR CFRA (5+ employee employer, 12+ months tenure, 12 weeks of bonding protection). If none of these apply, your employer may legally terminate you during leave.

Under federal FMLA, your employer must continue your health insurance on the same terms as if you were working. Under CFRA (the state equivalent for bonding), the same rule applies. If you're protected by neither (e.g., short tenure or small employer), your employer may require you to pay the full premium yourself or may discontinue coverage. Many employers continue coverage anyway as a matter of policy — check your handbook.

San Francisco's Paid Parental Leave Ordinance requires employers based in San Francisco (or with a primary work location there) to top up California PFL benefits to 100% of your weekly wage, up to a 2026 cap of $2,522/week. If you work in SF — even if you live elsewhere — your employer is subject to PPLO. The benefit is substantial: instead of getting ~70% of pay during PFL, you get 100%. Many SF workers don't realize this is available.

It depends on which program. SDI and PFL have no employer-tenure requirement — just total earnings of $300+ in your base period. CFRA requires 12+ months of tenure with the same employer. PDL has no tenure requirement. Federal FMLA requires 12+ months of tenure plus 1,250+ hours in the prior year. So a 6-month employee in California can usually take paid SDI + PFL but might lack federal job protection during leave.