Employment
California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
California's job-protected family and medical leave law: up to 12 workweeks in 12 months for eligible employees of employers with five or more employees.
What CFRA is
The California Family Rights Act (Government Code section 12945.2) is part of FEHA. It gives eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of job-protected leave in a 12-month period for family care and medical leave, including the employee's own serious health condition, care for a family member with one, and bonding with a new child.
The rule
CFRA covers an employer that directly employs five or more persons. An employee is eligible with more than 12 months of service and at least 1,250 hours of service in the previous 12 months. Leave is not deemed granted unless the employer guarantees employment in the same or a comparable position on return. It is unlawful to refuse a valid request, to interfere with leave, or to retaliate against an employee for requesting or taking it. CFRA claims follow FEHA procedure: a CRD complaint and a right-to-sue notice before suit.
Why it matters to a plaintiff firm
Leave requests are among the most common protected activity in California employment cases, and terminations soon after a leave request or return from leave are a frequent fact pattern. Firms confirm eligibility early (headcount, months of service and hours), get the dates of the request, the leave and the return, and collect any medical certification exchanged. Because the threshold is five employees, many clients who don't qualify under the federal FMLA do qualify under CFRA. See the retaliation timeline guide.
Sources
General information about California and federal rules, not legal advice. Rules change and every case turns on its facts: check the statute and your own analysis before relying on a date or a figure.