“Wait… that’s all I get?”

If you’re pregnant and working in California, and you’ve already tried asking your HR department about your maternity leave options, you might walk away feeling just like that.

If you left that conversation feeling more confused than confident… you’re not alone.

After guiding over 3,000 women through their actual family leave options in California, one thing has become crystal clear:

HR is not your most reliable source of truth when it comes to maternity leave guidance. 

Why “Ask HR” Isn’t Good Enough

Let’s address the obvious issue: most HR reps are not trained experts in assisting employees to maximize California’s complex leave laws.
We’re talking FMLA, CFRA, PFL, SDI, PDL, employer policies, union agreements— and more. 

Here’s the catch:

HR departments work for your employer. Not for you.

So when you ask essential questions like, “How much time can I take off?” or “Will I get paid while I’m out?”

They may:

• Provide the minimum benefits your employer offers, not the full benefits you’re entitled to under state law.
• Leave out SDI or Paid Family Leave entirely (because they’re administered by the state, not your company). 
• Just hand you some flyers from the State and expect you to figure it out on your own, since that’s their legal requirement.
• Tell you that you’re “not eligible” for FMLA… without mentioning alternatives like CFRA or PDL that could still apply.
• Hand you your entire benefit documents and not explain that pregnancy and maternity leave actually fall under “sickness” within disability for insurance payments.
  
  

We’ve seen it all. 

The Maternity Leave Misinformation Trap

You’d be surprised how often we hear statements like this:

“I thought I was only allowed 6 or 8 weeks off because that’s what HR told me.”

It’s both heartbreaking and totally preventable.

Here’s what HR often doesn’t explain:

• California’s State Disability Insurance (SDI) often covers 8-10 weeks of paid leave for pregnancy recovery and can provide payments for up to 1 year.
• Paid Family Leave (PFL) gives you an additional 8 weeks of pay for baby bonding, separate from your disability leave.
• CFRA, PDL and FMLA can protect your job for up to 7 months — even if they don’t include wage replacement.
  
  

That means you could potentially take 16–29+ weeks off, many of them paid, if you know how to coordinate your leave properly.

But you won’t get that strategy from HR.

HR Is Not Malicious — But They Are Limited

Most HR departments are doing their best…
But– they don’t have time to walk each employee through state leave programs or create customized leave plans based on your unique pregnancy timeline.

And let’s be real:

Their job is to manage compliance, not to maximize your time off or pay.

That’s your job. And it starts by getting educated.

One Story We Hear Too Often

We recently spoke to a mom who took 6 unpaid weeks off — only to find out later that she qualified for state-paid leave and could’ve taken twice as much time.

Why didn’t anyone tell her?

Because she trusted HR to guide her…
And they didn’t mention SDI or PFL at all - so she didn’t even file and then it was too late.

It cost her thousands of dollars and weeks of bonding time she’ll never get back.

Don’t let this become your story.

The Hard Truth About Family Leave in California

Here’s what you need to understand:

• California has some of the most generous maternity leave laws and benefits in the country.
• But they are complicated and poorly communicated.
• HR is not required (or incentivized) to show you how to get the maximum time off or pay.

So if you’re pregnant or planning for a baby–

You owe it to yourself (and your growing family) to dig deeper for information.

Start by reading this official FAQ from the California EDD.
And if you want help navigating all the acronyms, timelines, and paperwork, we’ve got you.

Ready to Protect Your Time, Pay, and Peace of Mind?

We’re hosting a free, no-cost workshop called:

“5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Going On Maternity Leave”

In this comprehensive training, you’ll learn:

• Why most moms leave money on the table (and how to avoid it)
• The biggest misunderstandings about job protection and wage replacement
• How to stop relying on HR — and start making confident leave decisions

This webinar is the place to start if you’re overwhelmed, confused, or simply want to make sure you’re making the best decisions for your family.

Don’t leave your maternity leave to chance.