state leave laws

If you work in California for 30 or more days within a year, you’re entitled to California Paid Sick Leave (PSL) of three days or 24 hours (whichever is longer) in the calendar year. During your first year of employment, California PSL will be available beginning on the 90th day of employment. For subsequent years, California PSL will be available for use on January 1. Unused California PSL cannot be carried over from year to year or cashed out at termination or retirement. If you are rehired within one year, previously unused California PSL will be reinstated. 

Time off for California PSL must be taken in a minimum of 2 hour increments. Eligible employees may use California PSL for:

• Themselves or an eligible family member for the diagnosis, care or treatment of an existing health condition or preventive care.
• Specified purposes for an employee who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

For purposes of California PSL, eligible family members include the employee's parents, children, spouse, registered domestic partner, grandparents, grandchildren and siblings.

You report paid sick leave just as you do when you're sick that is, to your supervisor and, if needed, to a time administrator. However, you report that the time off is to care for yourself or a family member. The same rules that apply when you're ill apply to the care of a family member. For example, if your management requires documentation, such as a doctor's certification for an illness, management may require the same information for your family member's illness. 

Your supervisor is responsible for ensuring that absences are correctly recorded as qualifying for California PSL.

Reed Group does not handle absences under California Paid Sick Leave, unless the absence also qualifies as an FMLA-protected absence. If you think your absence may qualify for protection under FMLA, you should also follow the Disability Management Program’s reporting process so that you're eligible for any job protection that may be available under FMLA.

• California Paid Sick Leave quick reference

Under this law, you're entitled to a leave of absence for up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period for:

• Bonding with a child after birth.
• Placement of a child in your family for adoption or foster care.
• A serious health condition of your child, parent, spouse or domestic partner. 
• Your own serious health condition. 
• A qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of your spouse or domestic partner, child or parent in the Armed Forces of the United States.

The leave can be taken intermittently or at a reduced schedule. And the time off may also count as job-protected under FMLA. However, time off for pregnancy or a pregnancy-related disability that is job-protected under FMLA does not count against the 12 weeks of time off that is available under CFRA. 

For more information about the California Family Rights, please refer to the CA Fair Employment and Housing Web site at http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/Employment/.

This law provides you with certain job guarantees for a medically necessary absence of up to four months as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. Time off covered under PDLL may also count as job-protected time off under FMLA. For more information about your rights and obligations, go to https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/resources/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faqs/pregnancy-disability-leave-faqs/pdl-cfra-fmla-guide/.

For a copy of The Department of Fair Employment and Housing publication, go to https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2018/04/DFEH_PregnancyLeavePamphlet.pdf

PFL provides partial wage replacement to cover employees working in California or seagoing or U.S.-payroll expatriate employees working in a non-U.S. location for a Chevron operating company based in California who take time off work to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new minor child due to birth, adoption, or foster care placement. 

Effective January 1, 2021, PFL covers qualifying events and activities because of a family member’s foreign military deployment. PFL benefits can be used to take time off to attend an event or manage an essential need during a family member’s call to covered active duty. This may include activities such as making childcare or parental care arrangements, attending military sponsored events, or making legal or financial arrangements.

Family members may include:

• your spouse or state-registered domestic partner; 
• your children, including a biological child, adopted child, foster child, stepchild, grandchild, legal ward, or child of a state-registered domestic partner;
• your parents, including a biological parent, foster parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, grandparent, parent-in-law or legal guardian;
• your siblings, including a biological sibling, adopted sibling or a sibling through a common legal or biological parent.

PFL provides for benefit payments, but it does not provide any job protection or reinstatement rights. However, job protection for the same absence may be provided by federal or state leave laws (for example, FMLA, CFRA).

• PFL employee checklist
• Frequently asked questions

who is eligible for california PFL 

All Chevron employees working in the state of California or seagoing or U.S.-payroll expatriate employee working in a non-U.S. location for a Chevron operating company based in California may be eligible for PFL benefits. To be eligible, you must have earned at least $300 in base period wages from which disability insurance deductions were withheld, and you must meet the rules and requirements described in the state disability programs. As a California employee, you participate in either the Chevron Voluntary Disability Insurance Plan or the California State Disability Insurance Program (SDI). In both cases, you are covered for PFL through your disability plan. 

the california PFL benefit amount 

During any 12-month period, an eligible California employee may receive up to eight weeks of PFL benefit payments. Whether you are enrolled in the Chevron Voluntary Disability Insurance Plan or SDI, PFL benefits will be paid at the SDI rate, which is approximately 60 to 70 percent (depending on income) of base period wages up to a maximum of $1,357 a week for a PFL absence commencing in 2021. There is a $50 minimum weekly benefit amount.

The PFL benefit payments you receive are taxable on your federal tax return, but are not taxable for state purposes. In addition, the PFL income is not considered regular earnings. This means that while you are receiving PFL benefits, your paycheck contributions to other employee benefit programs stop because you are considered to be on “unpaid” status. 

rules and requirements

The following rules and requirements apply to PFL:

• To be eligible for PFL benefit payments, you must experience a loss in wages as a result of the time you take off to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. 
• Chevron requires you to take one week of vacation for each claim prior to receiving PFL benefits. If you have less than one week of vacation available, PFL benefits will begin after available vacation has been exhausted. If you don’t have any vacation available, PFL benefits will begin on the first day of an unpaid Chevron Family Leave of Absence. 
• You must file a claim for PFL benefits no later than 42 calendar days from the first day for which you may be paid PFL. Time away from work can include consecutive days off and days off taken intermittently. 
• Proof of relationship documentation is required for all PFL benefit claims. This includes a birth certificate, adoption paperwork, a marriage license, or a California Certificate of Registered Domestic Partnership. 
• Medical certification is required if the leave is to care for a seriously ill family member. You must also certify that there is no other family member ready, willing and able to provide care during the same period of time in the day.
• California Paid Family Leave does not provide job protection. However, your job may be protected if your absence qualifies under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). 
• If you are on unpaid status for longer than 31 consecutive calendar days, you will be placed on Chevron’s unpaid Family Leave. 

how to request california PFL benefits 

The process for requesting PFL benefits depends on whether you participate in the California State Disability Insurance Program (SDI) or the Chevron Voluntary Disability Insurance Plan. Benefits will not be paid until all documentation is received and approved. 

if you participate in the chevron voluntary disability insurance plan

Your benefits are administered by Reed Group. To request PFL benefits, follow these steps:

• Notify your supervisor. 
• Review the disability management program and download the appropriate PFL forms. 
• Complete the forms and collect the required documentation.
• Contact Reed Group by calling 1-888-825-5247 (1-832-854-5800 outside the U.S.). 
• You will not be paid PFL benefits until you complete the waiting period, meet all eligibility requirements, and provide all required documentation. There is no guarantee that your request for benefits will be approved even after you have taken the time off without pay. PFL benefits are never payable under the Chevron Voluntary Disability Insurance Plan when they would not be payable under SDI. 
• If your request is approved, your benefits will be paid by Chevron payroll. 

if you participate in the california state disability insurance program (SDI)

Your benefits are administered by the state of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). To request PFL benefits, follow these steps:

• Notify your supervisor. 
• Call 1-877-BE-THERE (1-877-238-4373) or visit their Web site at www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/.
• If your request is approved, your benefits will be paid by the state of California. 

For more information, see the disability management program and frequently asked questions. 

You can find general information about California Paid Family Leave on the EDD website at www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/Paid_Family_Leave.htm.

Effective January 1, 2021, if you’re a Colorado employee, the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA) provides paid sick leave benefits for certain health and safety-related needs. You are eligible for up to 48 hours of paid sick leave per year to take time off work for the following reasons:

• You have a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition that prevents you from working; need a medical diagnosis, care, or treatment related to such illness, injury, or condition; or need to obtain preventive medical care.
• You need to care for a family member who has a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition or who needs a medical diagnosis, care, or treatment related to such illness, injury, or condition; or who needs to obtain preventive medical care.
• You or a family member has been the victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or criminal harassment and you need to be absent from work for purposes related to such crime.
• A public official has ordered the closure of the school or place of care of your child or of your place of business due to a public health emergency, necessitating your absence from work.

In addition, in the event of a public health emergency, the HFWA provides up to 80 hours* of paid leave, which includes the 48 hours of paid sick leave as described above. You can use this supplemental leave upon declaration of a public health emergency for the following reasons:

• To self-isolate due to exposure or a positive diagnosis.
• To seek medical treatment with respect to a disease.
• To care for a family member or a child.
• Because you are unable to work due to pre-existing health conditions.

You may be required to provide documentation if your leave is for four or more consecutive workdays. However, no documentation is required for leave due to a public health emergency.

* 80 hours for employees who work at least 40 hours per week. Employees who work less than 40 hours per week are eligible for either the actual hours worked or average of actual hours worked in a 14-day period, whichever is greater.

For more information

Refer to the Colorado Workplace Public Health Rights Poster and Interpretive Notice & Formal Opinion for complete details and purposes for use. You can also visit the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Division of Labor Standards and Statistics website for more information.

The following table provides guidance for how time off is covered under our benefit programs and/or policies and applicable time codes to use when recording time off for eligible HFWA reasons.

Reason for time off	Benefit or policy	Time code
You: Have a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition that prevents you from working. Need to obtain a medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, including those caused by domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment. Need to obtain preventive medical care. Obtain mental health or other counseling due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment. Need to seek medical attention to recover from a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition caused by the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment.	Short-Term Disability Plan	Sick-Full Pay (or Sick-Half Pay if you have used up your full-pay benefits)
You need to care for a family member who: Has a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition. Needs to obtain a medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, including those caused by domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment. Needs to obtain preventive medical care. Needs to obtain mental health or other counseling due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment.	Family Care Benefit HR Policy 110 - Leave of Absence - General (intranet only)	Family Care (up to 40 hours) Time that exceeds the 40-hour Family Care benefit should be coded to Personal Leave If you're not eligible for Family Care, time should be coded to Personal Leave
You or your eligible family member has been the victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or harassment, and the leave is to: Obtain services from a victim services organization. Seek relocation due to the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment. Seek legal services, including preparation for or participation in a civil or criminal proceeding relating to or resulting from the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment.	Family Care Benefit HR Policy 110 - Leave of Absence - General (intranet only)	Family Care (up to 40 hours) Time that exceeds the 40-hour Family Care benefit should be coded to Personal Leave
Due to a public health emergency, a public official has ordered closure of: Your place of business. The school or place of care for your child(ren) and you need to be absent from work to care for such child(ren).	Family Care Benefit HR Policy 110 - Leave of Absence - General (intranet only)	Family Care (up to 40 hours) Time that exceeds the 40-hour Family Care benefit should be coded to Personal Leave
Due to a public health emergency, you need to: Self-isolate and care for yourself because you are diagnosed with a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency. Self-isolate and care for yourself because you are experiencing symptoms of a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency. Seek or obtain medical diagnosis, care, or treatment because you are experiencing symptoms of a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency. Seek preventive care concerning a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency.	Short-Term Disability Plan	Sick-Full Pay (or Sick-Half Pay if you have used up your full-pay benefits)
Due to a public health emergency, you need to care for a family member who: Is self-isolating after being diagnosed with a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency. Is self-isolating due to experiencing symptoms of a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency. Needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment if experiencing symptoms of a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency. Is seeking preventive care concerning a communicable illness that is the cause of a public health emergency.	Family Care Benefit	Family Care (up to 40 hours) Time that exceeds the 40-hour Family Care benefit should be coded to Personal Leave
Due to a public health emergency, a local, state, or federal public official or health authority orders a quarantine and as a result: You are unable to report to work due to the quarantine order or because you have a health condition that puts you at increased risk or because you are exhibiting symptoms of a communicable illness. You need to care for a family member who is unable to report to work due to the quarantine order or because they are exhibiting symptoms of a communicable illness. You need to care for your child(ren) or other family member because the child care provider is unavailable or the school or place of care has been closed.	Family Care Benefit	Family Care (up to 40 hours) Time that exceeds the 40-hour Family Care benefit should be coded to Personal Leave

If you work in Massachusetts and need time off to care for yourself and your family, Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) provides paid time off. Refer to the notice of your rights and obligations and Paid Family and Medical Leave poster for details.