Parental/School Leave Policy - in CA

Kymm

Does anyone know what California law is for allowing an employee time off to attend school conferences, parent/teacher conferences, etc. ??
And would you have a policy in place that you would like to share?? :-) Thanks so much.

E Wart

L230.7; 230.8 School Attendance is what I think you mean.
Can't discharge or discriminate against employee who is the parent or guardian of pupil for taking time off to appear in the school of purpil pursuant to a request made under Section 48900.1 of Eduction code. If employee gives reasonable notice to employer, employer employes 25 or more at same location, up to 40 hours each year, not exceeding 8 hours in any calendar month of the year, to participate in activities of the school or licensed child day care facility. May use vacation, personal leave or compensatory time off or without pay to extent made available by his employer. Employer can ask for documentation from school.
We have less than 25 so no policy, but do try to adhere if needed.
Hope this helps.
E Wart

National Guard

Can't help you with exact CA law but I do know some of the general background; there is a Federal directive/memo that states that employers give time off to their employees to attend their children's school activities and awards activities, parent teacher conferences etc. Sometimes it is referred to as Small Necessities Law. It also provides for the ER to give EE time to volunteer at schools as mentors and so on. My husband's union has what they call "dependant care" leave, which provides for all of the above.

HR in CA

Here's ours:

Employers with 25 or more employees at the same location must allow employees up to 40 hours time off, per academic year per child, to visit their children’s school for any reason. No more than 8 hours may be taken in one month and the employee must give reasonable notice before taking the time off.

An employee who is the parent, guardian or grandparent having custody of a child in kindergarten through 12th grade or attending a licensed child day care facility is eligible for school leave even if the child does not reside with the employee.

School-discipline leave is granted only if the school administrator has requested the employee’s attendance. It is not available to employees who voluntarily consult with school administrators concerning their child’s performance. Leave is determined by the date and the time the school administrator asks the employee to appear at school. Employers may ask the employee or the school administrator to reschedule the conference if the employee’s attendance at work is essential. The length of leave is implicitly limited to the time, which is reasonably necessary to attend the meeting. There is no limit on the frequency of school-discipline leaves.

To be eligible for school-discipline leave, the employee must be a parent, guardian or grandparent with custody of the child and actually be living with the child. The employee must receive written notice from the school administrator requesting his/her attendance at a conference to discuss the child’s suspension from school.

Employers may not discriminate in any manner against a parent, guardian or grandparent with custody of a child in kindergarten through twelfth grade inclusive or attending a licensed child day care facility for taking time off to visit a child’s school or appear at a conference pursuant to a written request from a school administrator.

Employers are not obligated to provide paid time off for school visits or school-discipline leaves. Employers may allow employees to use vacation or personal leave time for compensation for the employee’s time away.

Gillian3

Just one thing to add, and it applies to employers where both parents are employed for the same employer. The leave is provided to the parent who first requests the leave. It is the employers option whether or not to extend the leave to the second parent. This is described in Labor Code 230.8