As children head back to school, California employees may need time away from work for school activities, childcare emergencies, disciplinary meetings, or to care for a sick child. Employers should keep the following California leave protections in mind for the 2026 - 2027 school year.
California Labor Code Section 230.8 applies to employers with 25 or more employees working at the same location. It provides certain leave entitlements to employees who are “parents” of children attending kindergarten through grade 12, or a licensed childcare provider.
For purposes of this law, a “parent” includes a parent, guardian, stepparent, foster parent, grandparent, or person who stands in loco parentis to a child.
Eligible employees may take up to 40 hours each year for either of the following purposes:
Time off for planned activities generally may not exceed eight hours in a calendar month. The monthly limit does not apply to time taken to address a school or childcare emergency.
Employees must provide reasonable advance notice of planned absences and notice of emergency absences. Employers may also request reasonable documentation from the school or childcare provider showing that the employee participated in a covered activity on a particular date and time....
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