Paid parental leave policy generator

This generator is designed specifically for crafting paid parental leave policies that go above and beyond what is required by FMLA. If you plan to write a policy without topping up your employees' pay, it may not fit your needs.

Manage parental leaves with Cocoon

General information

Company name

Short term disability provider

Do you have employees in San Francisco?
_{This is used to incorporate language for SF PPLO, if necessary}

Yes

Employee eligibility

Which employee types are eligible for this policy?

Full-time

Full and part-time

Do you have a tenure requirement for parental leave eligibility?

Yes

If yes, what is the required length of service?

months

Leave pay

Learn how much paid leave progressive companies are offering with Cocoon's exclusive benchmarks.

How many weeks of paid disability leave do you offer for birthing parents?
_{Note: Employees may be entitled to additional time based on federal and state laws. Most birthing parents will be approved for 6-8 weeks of disability.}

weeks

What percent of an employee's salary do you pay during disability leave?
_{Progressive employers typically guarantee 100%. With short term disability and applicable state benefits, most employers pay less than 100% out of pocket.}

How many weeks of paid bonding leave do you offer for birthing and non-birthing parents?_{Best practice: Offer equal bonding time for birthing and non-birthing parents for the most equitable policy and to avoid pregnancy discrimination.}

weeks

What percent of an employee's salary do you pay during bonding leave?_{Progressive employers typically guarantee 100%. With applicable state benefits, most employers pay less than 100% out of pocket.}

Leave increments

Can parental leave be taken incrementally?
_{For example, an employee may take 2 weeks of leave in June, and then another 2 weeks of leave in August.}

Yes

If yes, what is the minimum required leave increment?
_{For example, you may require an employee to take leave in at least one week increments.}

day(s)

week(s)

If yes, what is the maximum number of leave increments?
‍_{For example, an employee can only take their allotted leave time in a single period, or over the course of multiple legs.}

Over what time period is someone allowed to take the maximum time?
_{This is on a rolling period. We see most employers use 12 months, which is also in line with FMLA guidelines.}

months

Requesting leave

How should an employee request a personal leave at your company?

Generate language

Here's your paid parental leave policy language:

Policy statement
‍At -----, we believe all parents should have paid time away from work to welcome a child into their family. We offer paid parental leave to support employees as they build their families and career at -----. This policy describes this company benefit, which will be administered and integrated with any overlapping paid or unpaid leave under federal, state, or local law. Although leave processes can be complex, we aim to integrate company and statutory leave processes as much as practical, including reducing employee burdens to submit paperwork and/or respond to information requests that might impede their ability to be present to their families during these important life events when possible.

‍Employee eligibility
‍All ----- ----- employees ---------------

‍Qualifying leave reasons
‍Eligible employees may take paid parental leave for periods when they temporarily are unable to work due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions (before and after childbirth) and/or bonding with a child following the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. ----- treats multiple simultaneous births or placements as a single leave under this policy.

‍Leave time & pay
‍As a condition of receiving pay under this policy, employees must apply for all applicable state and/or private insurance benefits covering their parental leave periods and cooperate with any state or insurance carrier requests for information related to those claims. The amount ----- pays you during paid parental leaves depends on the reason for leave, the state in which you are employed, and state or private insurance carrier claims decisions.

‍Birthing parents
‍Assuming no additional complications, your post-birth period of disability will generally be authorized for 6 weeks (vaginal delivery) or 8 weeks (cesarean delivery). You may receive --% of your regular salary or wages for up to -- weeks for periods when you are unable to work because of disability due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition, including periods of pre-birth and post-birth disability.

You also may receive --% of your regular salary or wages for up to an additional -- month(s) of paid parental leave for periods of bonding with a newly welcomed child. Your ability to take this bonding leave begins upon the end of the childbirth disability period and expires -- months after your child’s birth or placement.

In total, assuming no additional complications, birthing parents have access to up to -- - -- weeks of paid parental leave including disability and bonding. Income can come from a variety of sources including -----, our short-term disability provider -----, and/or the state.

‍Non-birthing parents
‍You may receive up to --% of your regular salary or wages for up to -- weeks of paid parental leave for periods of bonding with a newly welcomed child. Your ability to take this bonding leave begins upon the birth or placement of the child and expires -- months after your child’s birth or placement. Income can come from a variety of sources including ----- and/or the state.

‍Intermittent leave
‍Birthing parents may take parental leave for pre-birth disability in full-day increments when medically necessary. ---------------

‍Requesting leave
---------------
‍
‍
‍Group health benefits
‍Whenever possible under our group health plans, during parental leave, ----- will permit employees to continue group health plan coverage as if they were actively employed.

‍Non-group health benefits
----- will continue employees’ benefits coverage other than group health benefits during periods of parental leave consistent.

‍Coordination with statutory leave benefits
‍Unless prohibited by law, ----- will administer overlapping federal, state, or local paid and unpaid leave benefits concurrently with leave under this policy. ----- will provide additional unpaid leave whenever federal, state, or local law provides employees paid or unpaid leave for a duration beyond those under this policy.

San Francisco based employees who are eligible for bonding leave may be eligible to receive supplemental compensation under the San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance (SF PPLO) to ensure that employees receive up to 100% of their wages for eight weeks of bonding leave. Employees must apply for California Paid Family Leave benefits with the CA EDD and then submit required SF PPLO documentation to the HR team. Learn more here: https://www.sf.gov/information/paid-parental-leave-ordinance

Copy to clipboard

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

FAQ

Can I use this policy language as-is?

The language generated is not legal advice or legally-reviewed policy language. It should be used only as a framework or starting point to craft your own policy. Please work with your legal counsel before introducing any leave policies to your employees. Regardless of your policy, employees may be entitled to protected and/or partially-paid leave under FMLA or applicable state programs. Any parental leave policy must be coordinated and integrated with federal FMLA, state, and local leave requirements.

Why should I offer paid leave?

Paid leave is table stakes for today’s employees. Without a paid leave policy (or with a minimal paid leave policy) employers are missing out on top talent and losing internal talent. A company’s paid leave policy is a reflection of how much they value their employees—not only is it the right thing to do, it’s a smart business decision. Supporting data: paid leave cost analysis and paid leave benchmarks.

What does Cocoon do again?

Cocoon is a leave management platform that uses first-of-its-kind technology to take the work out of employee leave. We partner with People teams at forward-thinking companies like Carta, Ironclad, and Vanta to save them hours per week, mitigate risk, and reduce stress for employees during life’s pivotal moments like welcoming a new baby or caring for a sick family member. Unlike traditional solutions, our software automates the most complex parts of compliance, claims, and payroll for a more efficient, modern, reliable experience. We support all FMLA leave types, personal leave, and ADA leave accommodations.