Does CFRA child bonding leave begin immediately after the baby is born or after PDL ends?

An employee's own disability due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is not a serious health condition under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), but employees can use CFRA for child bonding.

CFRA for child bonding starts after the employee's doctor has determined that the period of pregnancy disability has ended or at the end of four months of pregnancy disability leave (PDL), whichever happens first.

For example, if — after the baby's birth — the employee's doctor certifies that your employee is still disabled by their pregnancy for six weeks, the CFRA child bonding leave will