SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California workers would receive 100 percent of their pay while on paid child leave under a plan passed by the state Assembly on Thursday.
The plan now heads to the state's Senate.
Currently, under the Paid Family Leave program, workers get 60 to 70 percent of pay. Workers can get six weeks of leave during a 12-month period.
The bill's sponsor, Lorena Gonzalez, told KTVU previously, “Workers who need to use family leave absolutely deserve more time off, but first they deserve to be able to take that time off. Many working-class Californians aren’t able to use our paid family leave program because they can’t afford to receive only a portion of their paycheck.
"A worker shouldn’t have to choose between meeting their household budget and taking necessary time off during critical moments in life.”
Opponents say the change would make workers pay more for a program that just a few state workers are using. Supporters, however, say the change would allow more workers to use the program.
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