Effective January 1, 2027, Senate Bill (SB) 1149 expands the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) bereavement leave law to let covered employees take bereavement leave for the death of a “designated person” — broadening who counts as a “family member” beyond the categories currently listed in the statute.
The CFRA already requires covered employers to give qualified employees up to five days of bereavement leave following the death of a family member. A covered employer is one that employs five or more persons, along with the state and its political and civil subdivisions. A qualified employee is one who has been employed for at least 30 days before the leave begins (excluding persons covered by California Government Code Section 19859.3).
Absent an employer’s policy to the contrary, bereavement leave is normally unpaid, except that the employee may use vacation, personal leave, accrued and available sick leave, or available compensatory time off for such leave. The CFRA also protects employees who use this leave. An employer may not refuse to hire an applicant, or discharge, demote, discipline, or otherwise discriminate against an employee, because the employee exercised the right to bereavement leave. Employers are likewise barred from interfering with that right.
SB 1149 adds a “designated person” to the list of family members whose death qualifies an employee for bereavement leave. Under the amendment, a “...
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