New CA PFL Grant Program for Small CA Employers

California's Paid Family Leave (CA PFL) program enables California workers to take paid leave to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child (through birth, adoption, or foster care).

Employers with employees taking CA PFL typically have increased costs such as training current staff as well as hiring new or temporary workers to cover for employees on leave. To help offset some of these increased costs, the California Economic Development Department, the State administrative agency for CA PFL, recently announced a new grant program for small employers with employees taking CA PFL on or after June 1, 2022.

CA PFL Overview

CA PFL provides partial wage replacement payments for up to eight weeks to eligible employees who need to take time off work to:

• Care for a seriously ill family member¹
• Bond with a new child (through birth, adoption, or foster care).
• Participate in a qualifying event because of a family member's military deployment²

CA PFL Grant Program Eligibility

• Small employers in California with 1-100 employees who have at least one employee taking CA PFL on or after June 1, 2022
• Employers must be registered to do business in the State of California and in active status with the California Secretary of State’s Office
• Employers must have an active California Employer Account Number (CEAN) under which employees are listed for payroll

CA PFL Grant Program Amounts

• Employers with 51-100 employees may receive up to $1,000 per employee taking CA PFL
• Employers with 1-50 employees may receive up to $2,000 per employee taking CA PFL
• Eligible employers may have more than one employee taking CA PFL and grants will be awarded in increments of $1,000 and $2,000 per employee

CA PFL Grant Program Time Period

The grant program period is from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2024. Employers with employees who took CA PFL on or after June 1, 2022, may apply.

Note that small businesses using a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) for payroll services are not eligible for the CA PFL grant program.

Click here to apply for the CA PFL grant program and here for a list of CA PFL grant program FAQs.

Reach out to your Risk Strategies Account team with any questions.

¹ A "family member" here includes child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or registered domestic partner.

² A "family member" here is defined as a spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, or child.