California Paid Leave Blueprint
HR legally has to tell you about 12 weeks FMLA (unpaid). In California, moms can take up to 29 weeks and keep their job. Partners can take up to 12 weeks. 8 of those are paid.
Up to 25 of those weeks are paid for moms. Up to 8 for partners. Four state programs, put into one clear plan for both of you. Every step, in order, before either of you talks to HR.
Get the Blueprint, $297 todayOr split into payment plans and still get immediate access. 1,100+ California families. Money-back guarantee.
For planners who are expecting in California
HR has to explain FMLA. That is 12 weeks, no pay. For the California programs, all they have to do is hand you a pamphlet. Explaining how they fit together is nobody’s job. So most HR teams cannot. When you bring your plan, you help them and you help yourself. You are not asking for anything out of the ordinary. It is the law.
Why HR does not tell you
The law says HR must explain FMLA, post a notice about PDL and CFRA, and hand you a state pamphlet on SDI and PFL. That is all. No law says anyone has to show you how the 4 programs fit together, or work out your dates. That part is on you.
Not sure you qualify? Start here
Take the free 1 minute quiz to see your paid leave eligibility
For moms and partners. No email needed.
Take the quiz →California has its own laws. They can give you up to 29 weeks. Up to 25 of them paid. Every one of those weeks has a file date. Miss the date, lose the week.
Planners typically start early in the 2nd trimester. That leaves time to line up your doctor, your dates, and your pay before the HR talk. Start later and you are planning from behind.
PDL
California Pregnancy Disability Leave: up to 17 weeks of job protected time available for expecting moms (even if you haven't been at your job for a year)
CFRA
12 weeks of bonding time that runs after PDL is finished. This is legally separate time so this is what gives people the ability to take up to 29 weeks of job protected time off in California.
SDI+PFL
California state disability is the first program you file for, followed by PFL bonding time. Both programs pay you back 70-90% of your income.
Your file dates the day you join. Or split into payment plans at checkout. You still get in today.
Made by a working mom in Sacramento, California. For working, expecting parents and partners who want the exact steps to get their leave right.
Why this exists
You cannot find this information in one exact spot online.
You have tried. The rules are real. But they live in 4 different places. Nobody puts them together for you. So you cannot plan. And the dates keep coming whether you have a plan or not.
EDD SITE
Has the pay. Not the job rules.
HR
Has 12 weeks. Not the pay.
YOUR DOCTOR
Signs forms. Doesn't know the dates.
FORUMS
Someone else's dates. Not yours.
The Blueprint puts it in 1 place
Your dates. Your file day. Who pays. Who protects your job. Standard plan and extended plan, side by side.
Chapter 1
You tell HR. They send you this.
Leave_Policy_FINAL.pdf
FMLA: 12 weeks, unpaid, job protected
Benefits: see EDD website
Return date: ________
Questions? Contact HR.
So you click the link. You land here.
This is the EDD website
So. What do you file for?
6 menus. Nothing says "having a baby." The answer is Disability first, then Paid Family Leave. 2 claims. In that order. Nobody tells you that.
That is it. 12 weeks. No pay. A link.
HR is not hiding anything. They just don't know the rest either. Nobody's job is to tell you. So the planning falls to you.
Chapter 2
California pays you while you are out.
Every paycheck, a little money comes out. It is called SDI. You have paid in for years. When you have a baby, you get it back.
Your pay stub
See this line? This is for you.
What up to 29 weeks can look like
The same 29 weeks, with real dates
Last day of work Jan 13. Back Aug 6. Every phase has its dates, who pays, and when to file. This is what the tool makes for you.
The part most people miss
6 weeks is the default. Not the limit.
Your doctor can extend your paid healing time. Many do. You just have to ask before your date passes. That is the yellow part of the bar above. The Blueprint shows you exactly how.
70–90%
of your pay
$1,765
max per week
$0
tax on SDI
Weeks depend on your dates, your delivery, and your doctor. 2026 numbers.
Chapter 3
The hard part. The state talks in code.
The EDD is the office that pays you. Their forms have numbers for names. Their letters are hard to read. You cannot plan around what you cannot read.
5 ways people lose money
They file for disability too early. The claim gets denied.
They don't know their doctor has to fill out a form online. No form, no pay.
They don't know the doctor has to keep signing off while they are out. Pay stops.
They file for baby bonding (PFL) first. Disability has to come first.
Nobody tells them the order. So they guess.
Chapter 4
A nurse in LA was told 12 weeks. She got 29.
She is a planner too. She put her dates in the tool at 20 weeks. It showed every step. When to file. What pays her when. How to get more time. By the time she told HR, she already knew the answer.
Her plan in the calendar tool. Every color is a program. Every flag is a date to file.
Her plan as a list. Her file day was Nov 13. Her doctor signed off on 8 more paid weeks. Total: 29.3 weeks.
29
weeks off
25
weeks paid
$26k
from the state
A mix of real client stories, details changed. Dollar amounts are rounded. The EDD decides every claim on its own facts.
Chapter 5
Meet the Blueprint.
Everything, in order. On your phone. Built for people who want it done right the first time.
The calendar tool
Type your due date and last day of work. Get every date. When to file. What pays you when.
Short lessons, in 5 steps
A few minutes each. Open the step that matches your week.
Do you get paid leave?
A quick check for you and your partner
Get the big picture
The 4 programs. How they add up. How much you get paid.
Talk to work
What to say to HR. How job pay and EDD pay fit together.
Get paid
Every form, in order. How to ask your doctor for more paid weeks. How to reach the EDD fast.
How to extend your disability
6 weeks is the start, not the end. What to say to your doctor. When to ask. What they sign. Up to 7 more paid weeks.
Your partner
Up to 8 paid weeks for them too. Take turns so someone is home longer.
Not online. Not from AI. Built from 2 years with real families.
Scripts and checklists
What to say to HR, word for word. Every form, in order, with its date.
Office hours every Tuesday, for 1 year
Bring your questions. 12 people max. Every call recorded and sent to you.
The change
From guessing to a plan.
Before
A PDF from HR.
4 answers from 4 people.
No idea what you will get paid.
Forums at 11pm.
A due date and no plan.
Try your number
What would the state pay you?
Tap your pay. This uses the EDD's 2026 chart. The EDD uses your past paychecks to set the real number.
Tap your yearly pay
Your weekly check from the state
~$1,127
A flat $1,127 a week at this pay. No tax on SDI.
If you just do the basics
$15,778
6 wks post-birth disability
+ 8 wks paid family leave
With a plan
$28,175
4 wks pre-birth disability
+ 6 wks post-birth
+ up to 7 wks paid extension
+ 8 wks paid family leave
Planning it right could mean ~$12,397 more from the state.
The Blueprint is $397.
A guess to help you plan, not a promise. "The basics" is 6 weeks of disability plus 8 weeks of PFL, 14 paid weeks. "With a plan" is 4 weeks of pre-birth disability, 6 weeks post-birth, up to 7 weeks of paid disability extension, and 8 weeks of paid family leave. Up to 25 paid weeks. The extension has to be secured with your doctor. That is what the course covers. Your real weeks depend on your dates, your delivery, and your doctor. EDD 2026 chart: 90% of pay up to $65,119 a year. A flat $1,127 a week from $65,120 to $83,725. 70% of pay above that, up to $1,765 a week.
California Paid Leave Blueprint
$397
$297
$100 off with code 100OFFSEPTEMBER. Ends soon.
Pay once. Keep it forever.
Why $397
Office hours every Tuesday for 1 year
52 calls
The calendar tool, with your dates
Yours to keep
Every lesson, script and checklist
Updated yearly
Your partner's plan too
Included
1 on 1 with me
~$2,000
What this cost before. A few families at a time.
The Blueprint
$397
Same steps. Same answers. About 5x less.
Need to split up payments?
Totally get it. Pick Klarna or Afterpay at checkout. That is 4 payments of $74.25. No extra cost. You get in today either way.
Money-back guarantee. If it does not make your leave clearer, email for a full refund.
After you sign up
Here is exactly what happens next.
No waiting for a call. No onboarding week. You can have your file dates before you close the tab.
Right away: your login lands in your inbox
Check out with a card, Klarna, or Afterpay. Within a few minutes you get an email with your login. Everything is open on day 1. Nothing drips out.
First 10 minutes: get your dates
Open the calendar tool. Type your due date and your last day of work. It gives you every phase, who pays, and the day to file each form. Save it. Share it with your partner.
This week: do the Start step
A quick check that you and your partner can get paid leave. Then Step 1 for the big picture. Each lesson is a few minutes. Open the step that matches your week.
Next Tuesday at 1pm: office hours
The link is inside the course. Bring your dates and your questions. 12 people max. Cannot make it? Every call is recorded and sent to you. You get this every Tuesday for 1 year.
Before the HR talk: use the scripts
Step 2 has what to say to HR, word for word. Step 3 has every form in order, with its date, and how to ask your doctor for up to 7 more paid weeks. You walk in knowing the answer.
Minutes
to your login
Day 1
your file dates
Forever
you keep the course
Why I built this
I almost lost $30,000 because the EDD was too hard to understand.
My EDD claim was denied. I was on hold with the EDD every day for a month. Working parents deserve more support than that.
Denied
I filed too early
7:59am
on hold, every day
3 months
I didn't know I had
I'm Brittney. I almost lost $30,000 on my own leave. Nobody told me the rules. So I built the plan and support I wish I had.
I left the Silicon Valley tech world to help working, expecting parents. 1,100+ families have used this since.
Learn the exact steps. So you are not missing something. So you are not guessing.
Quick questions
How do I know if I can get paid leave?
Look at your pay stub under Employee Tax Deductions. Look for a line that says CA SDI or CASDI. See it? You pay in. You can get paid leave.
A real pay stub. The CA SDI line is the one to look for.
Most W-2 workers in California have it. If you own your business and pay yourself W-2, you may have it too. Have your partner check their pay stub as well.
Not sure? Take the 1 minute quiz →I'm due in 6 weeks. Is it too late?
No. Your SDI claim, your PFL claim, and your HR talk are all still ahead of you. The tool gives you your file date the day you join. Even if you already had the baby, you can still file. You have 49 days from your first day off to file for SDI.
Does my partner need to buy it too?
No. 1 purchase covers both of you. There is a full section for partners. It shows how they file for up to 8 paid weeks of bonding time, and how to take turns so someone is home longer. Bring your partner to office hours too.
I just started my job. Do I get anything?
Yes. Job protection during pregnancy (PDL) starts on day 1. Your pay comes from the EDD, based on what you earned at any job over the past 5 to 18 months. The least you would get is 17 weeks, job protected and paid. Bonding protection (CFRA) kicks in after 12 months at your job. The course maps out exactly what you have.
When should I start this?
Before you tell work, if you can. Most people start early in the 2nd trimester. That gives you time to get everything sorted before the HR talk.
My job gives paid leave. Do I still need this?
Yes. Job pay and EDD pay have to line up. Get it wrong and the EDD can ask for money back. Step 2 shows you exactly how to line them up.
What if I have a question about my own case?
Bring it to office hours. Every Tuesday at 1pm, for 1 year. 12 people max. Every call is recorded and sent to you if you miss it.
Can I meet with you 1 on 1?
I used to do that. It cost about 5x more. And you had to wait for a spot on my calendar. That is hard when you are due in 8 weeks.
Here is what I learned. Every family asked the same questions. When do I file? What comes first? How do I get more time? So I put every answer in the course. You get them the minute you join. No waiting.
Have a question that is just yours? Bring it to office hours on Tuesday. You still get me. You also hear what other parents ask. Someone a few weeks ahead of you asks the thing you did not know to ask yet. That is better for you than 1 on 1. And it costs a lot less.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a plain guide to California's public programs, built from 2 years of helping 1,100+ families. For legal advice about your own case, you would talk to an employment lawyer.
More questions? [email protected]
Still not sure you qualify?
Take the free 1 minute quiz to see your paid leave eligibility
For moms and partners. No email needed.
Take the quiz →
You already paid for this leave. The dates are already set. Plan them now.
Your dates. Your pay. Your forms. All in 1 place. Before the first deadline, not after it.
Get the Blueprint, $297 todayOr split into 4 payments of $74.25 with Afterpay or Klarna and get immediate access. Money-back guarantee.
One-time payment of $397
Pay with Klarna or Afterpay, or pick a payment plan that fits your budget.
