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Employee Handbook
California Addendum
CA-4. Pregnancy Disability Leave

One-line summary: California Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) — up to four months of job-protected leave per pregnancy for any condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Applies to Launch with respect to California employees because Launch has 5+ employees.

California Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)

The California Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (Cal. Gov. Code § 12945) applies to employers with 5 or more employees. Launch is over that threshold and PDL applies to Launch's California employees.

What it provides

If you are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, you are entitled to take up to four (4) months of pregnancy-disability leave per pregnancy. The leave can be taken intermittently or all at once and is job-protected — you have the right to be reinstated to the same or comparable position when you return.

PDL is separate from the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and the WA Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML). You may be eligible for PDL plus CFRA bonding leave consecutively.

What's covered

PDL covers any condition related to pregnancy, including:

  • Severe morning sickness
  • Doctor-ordered bed rest
  • Childbirth recovery
  • Pregnancy-related conditions such as postpartum depression
  • Loss or end of pregnancy
  • Recovery from loss or end of pregnancy

Pay

PDL itself is unpaid, but you may be eligible for partial wage replacement through:

  • California State Disability Insurance (SDI) for the disability portion. See CA Paid Family Leave + SDI in this addendum.
  • Use of accrued paid sick leave or PTO to supplement.

Reasonable accommodation for pregnancy

In addition to PDL, California law requires reasonable accommodation for conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. This may include modified work schedules, transferring to a less strenuous position, or other accommodations. Submit accommodation requests through the procedure in §2 of the core handbook.

Notice

Provide reasonable advance notice when foreseeable. For unforeseeable leave, notify HR at hr@launchindustries.biz as soon as practicable.

If you notice any outdated information or typos, or need clarification on any policies, please email hr@launchindustries.biz.

CA-3. Paid Sick LeaveCA-5. CFRA