Firefighter postpartum and recovery leave

The law protects eligible firefighters’ income, benefits, retirement credit, and job status while they recover from pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

What the law does ​

• Requires covered public fire departments to provide up to 26 weeks of leave at full regular pay for eligible firefighters medically disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition.
• Allows departments to require medical certification of the disability and expected leave dates.
• Continues benefits, including health coverage, retirement contributions, seniority, promotional eligibility, step increases, and service credit during leave.
• Bars departments from requiring firefighters to use sick leave, vacation, or compensatory time first.
• Requires return to the prior job or an equivalent position with the same rank, pay, schedule, station assignment, and promotional trajectory.
• Permits credit for certain other employer-paid or disability benefits, so long as the firefighter receives full pay without reducing accrued vacation, sick, or other compensated leave balances.

Who it affects ​

• Active firefighters with at least 1,250 service hours in the prior 12 months at covered city, county, district, California State University, county forestry, and state fire departments.
• Part-time eligible firefighters, whose weekly leave pay is based on their normal schedule or six-month average pay.
• University of California fire departments, which are requested, but not required, to comply.

Context ​

This paid leave runs at the same time as existing job-protected pregnancy-disability leave and does not reduce stronger benefits available under other agreements or laws.