Do we have to let people off work to attend their children’s kindergarten functions?
Our HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California and Federal Leave Laws, covers everything you need to know to stay in compliance with both state and federal law in one of the trickiest areas of compliance for even the most experienced HR professional. Learn the rules for pregnancy and parental leaves, medical exams and certifications, intermittent leaves, required notices, and more.
Yes. Under the state Family-School Partnership Act, an employee who is a parent, guardian, or grandparent having custody of a child in a licensed child daycare facility or in grades kindergarten through 12 may take up to 40 hours each year—no more than eight hours in a calendar month—to participate in daycare or school activities. This rule, which applies to employers with 25 or more employees at one location, prohibits employers from discriminating against or discharging employees for taking the leave. The employee must give the employer reasonable notice before taking time off to attend a daycare or school function. He or she must use existing vacation time, personal leave, or compensatory time off, or if allowed by the employer, unpaid time. (Collective bargaining agreements may affect the type of leave taken.) Employers may request documentation from the school or daycare facility to verify that the employee participated in the activities.
—CELA Editors