FMLA leave is unpaid under federal law, so if you’re asking whether you get paid on FMLA in California, the short answer is that the FMLA itself pays nothing — but California runs two wage replacement programs, State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL), that can replace 70% to 90% of your wages up to $1,765 per week in 2026 while you’re out. These programs are funded by deductions already coming out of your paycheck, and they typically run at the same time as your FMLA leave, so most eligible workers end up with both a paycheck and a protected job.1Employment Development Department. Family and Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act FAQs
The catch is that pay and job protection come from two different systems. Qualifying for one doesn’t automatically qualify you for the other.
The Two Programs That Actually Pay You
Both SDI and PFL are administered by California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) and funded through mandatory employee payroll deductions. Look for “CASDI” on your pay stub — that’s what you’ve been paying into.
State Disability Insurance
SDI pays benefits when your own non-work-related illness, injury, pregnancy, or childbirth prevents you from working. Benefits can last up to 52 weeks, with the length tied to what your doctor certifies.1Employment Development Department. Family and Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act FAQs If you’re still unable to work when your initial certification ends, your doctor can extend it.
Paid Family Leave
PFL pays benefits when you take time off to bond with a new child (by birth, adoption, or foster placement), care for a seriously ill family member, or handle matters related to a family member’s military deployment overseas. Benefits last up to eight weeks within a 12-month period.2Employment Development Department. Paid Family Leave Benefits and Payments FAQs Both parents can each claim PFL bonding benefits for the same child, which surprises many families who assume only one parent qualifies.
How Much You’ll Receive
Under rates set by SB 951 and effective since January 1, 2025, SDI and PFL both replace either 70% or 90% of your wages depending on your income.3Employment Development Department. January 2026 Disability Insurance Fund Forecast The EDD calculates your benefit from your highest-paid quarter in a base period that runs roughly 5 to 18 months before your claim starts.
- If your highest quarter wages were at or below 70% of the state average quarterly wage, you get 90% of those wages divided by 13.
- If your highest quarter wages were above that threshold, you get 70% of those wages divided by 13, or 63% of the state average weekly wage, whichever is greater.
- If you earned less than $722.50 in your highest quarter, you get a flat $50 per week.
The maximum weekly benefit in 2026 is $1,765, and the minimum is $50.4Employment Development Department. Contribution Rates and Benefit Amounts In practice, lower earners land closer to 90% of their normal check, and higher earners land closer to 70%, with the cap kicking in at the top.2Employment Development Department. Paid Family Leave Benefits and Payments FAQs
The 2026 SDI contribution rate is 1.3% of all your wages, with no taxable wage ceiling — every dollar you earn is subject to the deduction.4Employment Development Department. Contribution Rates and Benefit Amounts
Who Qualifies for the Pay
Eligibility for wage replacement is not the same as eligibility for FMLA. You don’t need to have worked a year, logged 1,250 hours, or work at a large employer to collect SDI or PFL. The core requirements are:
- You’ve paid into SDI through payroll deductions.
- You earned at least $300 in wages during your base period (roughly the 12 months ending 5 to 18 months before your claim).5Employment Development Department. Fact Sheet California Paid Family Leave DE 8714CF
- You’re losing wages because of a qualifying reason.
SDI claims require medical certification from your healthcare provider. PFL claims to care for a sick relative also require medical certification for that family member. PFL bonding claims instead require documentation of your relationship to the child.
Pregnancy and Childbirth: Using Both Programs
New parents are the most common users of both programs back-to-back, and this is where the pieces fit together clearly. A birth mother first files an SDI claim for the time she’s physically unable to work because of pregnancy and recovery. Doctors typically certify about four weeks before the due date and six weeks after a vaginal delivery or eight weeks after a cesarean, though your specific recovery may differ. When the SDI claim ends, the EDD sends a separate form to transition into PFL bonding benefits, adding up to eight more weeks of pay.6Employment Development Department. Transitioning from Disability Insurance to Paid Family Leave
A non-birth parent skips the SDI step and files directly for PFL bonding benefits, because there’s no physical disability from childbirth involved. Both parents can claim PFL for the same child.
Pay Is Not Job Protection
This is where workers most often get tripped up. SDI and PFL send money. They do not protect your job.1Employment Development Department. Family and Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act FAQs Job protection comes from FMLA (federal, employers with 50+ employees within 75 miles) or from the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), which applies to employers with just five or more employees.7California Civil Rights Department. Expanded Family and Medical Leave in California
If you qualify for both pay (SDI or PFL) and job protection (FMLA or CFRA), your employer will usually run them concurrently, and you get both at once. But if you work for a very small employer, you can end up collecting benefits without any legal guarantee your job will be there when you return. Someone at a four-person company who has been paying into SDI for years can claim PFL bonding benefits — but with fewer than five employees, neither FMLA nor CFRA applies. If you’re in that gap, check whether your employer has its own leave policy, and whether another California protection like pregnancy disability leave (which applies at five or more employees) covers your situation.
What Happens to Your Vacation and Sick Time
Under federal FMLA rules, your employer can require you to use accrued vacation or sick time during your leave, running them concurrently with your FMLA weeks rather than extending the total time off.8eCFR. 29 CFR 825.207 Substitution of Paid Leave California adds a meaningful limit. If you’re receiving SDI for your own serious health condition, your employer cannot force you to use accrued vacation or sick time on top of your SDI benefits, though you can choose to use accrued time voluntarily to top up your pay closer to your normal paycheck. The same holds if you’re on PFL to care for a sick family member.9California Civil Rights Department. Family Care and Medical Leave Quick Reference Guide Workers who don’t know about this protection often drain their paid time off unnecessarily.
Filing Your Claim
Both SDI and PFL claims go through the EDD, and the fastest route is SDI Online.10Employment Development Department. How to File a Paid Family Leave Claim in SDI Online Paper applications work but take longer. You’ll provide your personal information, employer details, and the last date you worked. For SDI, your healthcare provider submits the medical certification. For PFL bonding, you’ll attach proof of your relationship to the child. For PFL care claims, the family member’s doctor provides certification.
Once a complete application is in, expect an eligibility determination within about 14 days.11Employment Development Department. Disability Insurance Claim Process Missing medical certifications are the most common cause of delays. Approved benefits arrive by EDD debit card, direct deposit, or mailed check.
If your claim is denied, you have 30 calendar days from the mailing date on the notice to file an appeal.12California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Know Your Rights and Responsibilities Before You Appeal Mail it to the return address on the denial. An Administrative Law Judge will hear the case, and you get another 30 days to appeal an unfavorable decision to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Miss those deadlines and the claim closes for good.
Taxes on What You Receive
SDI benefits are generally not taxable. PFL benefits are treated differently: they’re subject to federal income tax and must be reported on your federal return.13Employment Development Department. Tax Information Form 1099G Neither SDI nor PFL is subject to California state income tax. The EDD does not automatically withhold federal taxes from PFL payments, so consider setting aside part of each payment or requesting voluntary withholding to avoid a surprise at tax time.