SF Paid Parental Leave Ordinance Takes Effect

The San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance (PPLO) took effect on January 1, 2017, requiring San Francisco employers to provide supplemental compensation for employees who receive California Paid Family Leave benefits to bond with a new child. The PPLO is now in effect for employers with 50 or more employees and will expand on July 1, 2017 to cover employers with 35 or more employees, and again on January 1, 2018 to cover those with 20 or more employees.

Eligible employees under the PPLO generally include those who have worked for at least 6 months with the employer and have worked at least 8 hours per week in San Francisco. Employees must also be eligible to receive California Paid Family Leave benefits and provide proof of their receipt of such benefits to their employers.

Employers who are subject to the PPLO are advised to do the following:

1. Post the PPLO poster in the workplace;
2. Provide the PPLO form to employees planning to go on leave to bond with a new child and apply for Paid Family Leave benefits and request that they complete the form;
3. Determine the amount of PPLO compensation the employee is entitled to receive and when they should receive it;
4. Ensure that any updates to their current employee handbook include a policy on the PPLO.

Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions about the PPLO to ensure proper compliance with this new law.