Do I have to grant an employee time off to care for a neighbor?

Yes, under California’s paid sick leave (PSL) law and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), an employee can take leave to care for a “designated person,” although each law has different definitions for “designated person.”

Under PSL, a “designated person” is defined as “a person identified by the employee at the time the employee requests paid sick days.”

This means an employee’s designated person can essentially be anyone of their choosing; however, an employer may limit an employee to one designated person per 12-month period for PSL, whether that is measured by calendar year, the employee’s hire date anniversary or