COVID-19 Worker Benefits and Leave
Please select the scenario that best describes your situation. The information demonstrates a potential order in which you might use each benefit or if you qualify for all of the benefits/leaves. If you already used up all of a benefit/leave, continue to the next one listed.
Having trouble finding an option that applies to your situation? Learn more about what to do if your employer denies you rightful benefits or makes it unnecessarily difficult to get benefits (for example: workplace retaliation). If you are a California employer, you may want to visit the COVID-19 employer guidance page for information for your business to help ensure safe and compliant operations and/or reopening.
I may have been exposed to COVID-19
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1. Take Exclusion Pay if you are excluded from work due to close contact with someone who has COVID-19 at work. Request Exclusion Pay from your employer. |
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2. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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3. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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4. Request California Paid Sick Days from your employer. You might be limited to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
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5. You may take additional job-protected leave through the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) if you have a serious health condition. Request up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave from your employer. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on CFRA leave. |
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6. If you have a disability related to COVID-19, you may qualify for additional job-protected leave as a reasonable accommodation through the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Request FEHA leave from your employer. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on FEHA leave. |
I got sick with COVID-19 at work and need to take time off work
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1. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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2. Request Workers’ Compensation. If you were exposed at work, you may be able to receive temporary disability benefits until you recover. |
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3. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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4. Consider using California Paid Sick Days while waiting for your Workers’ Compensation claim to be accepted or denied. This could be for up to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
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5. If you have a serious health condition, consider taking job-protected leave through the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) while waiting for your Workers’ Compensation claim to be accepted or denied. You can request up to 12 weeks of unpaid CFRA leave from your employer, and you can consider applying for Disability Insurance (DI) for partial wage replacement benefits. If your Workers’ Compensation claim is accepted, CFRA may run concurrently with Workers’ Compensation insurance payments if you have a serious medical condition. If your Workers’ Compensation claim is denied, you may still apply for DI for partial wage replacement benefits. |
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6. If you have a disability related to COVID-19, you may qualify for additional job-protected leave as a reasonable accommodation through the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The amount of time varies depending on your disability and accommodations available at your workplace. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on FEHA leave, but you can apply for DI for partial wage replacement benefits. |
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7. If you use up any available leave through CFRA and FEHA, you may still continue to get partial wage replacement benefits through DI, but your job may not be protected. If you lose your job while disabled, you may still continue to qualify for DI benefits. You might receive leave up to 52 weeks or until you exhaust your benefits, whichever comes first. |
I got sick with COVID-19 outside of work and need to take time off work
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1. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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2. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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3. Request California Paid Sick Days from your employer. You might be limited to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
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4. If you have a serious health condition, you may take additional job-protected leave through the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). You can request up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave from your employer, and you can consider applying for Disability Insurance (DI) for partial wage replacement benefits. |
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5. If you have a disability related to COVID-19, you may qualify for additional job-protected leave as a reasonable accommodation through the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The amount of time varies depending on your disability and accommodations available at your workplace. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on FEHA leave, but you can apply for DI for partial wage replacement benefits. |
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6. If you use up any available leave through CFRA and FEHA, you may still continue to get partial wage replacement benefits through DI, but your job may not be protected. If you lose your job while disabled, you may still continue to qualify for DI benefits. |
I feel unsafe going to work because my workplace has unsafe working conditions related to COVID-19
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1. File a confidential complaint with Cal/OSHA if you believe there are unsafe working conditions at work. |
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2. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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3. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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4. Request California Paid Sick Days from your employer. You might be limited to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
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5. You may take additional job-protected leave through the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) if you have a serious health condition. Request up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave from your employer. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on CFRA leave, but if you already have a serious health condition, you can apply for Disability Insurance (DI) for partial wage replacement benefits. |
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6. If you have a disability related to COVID-19, you may qualify for additional job-protected leave as a reasonable accommodation through the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The amount of time varies depending on your disability and accommodations available at your workplace. Request FEHA leave from your employer. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on FEHA leave, but if you already have a serious health condition, you can apply for DI for partial wage replacement benefits. |
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7. If you use up any available leave through CFRA and FEHA, you may still continue to get partial wage replacement benefits through DI, but your job may not be protected. If you lose your job while disabled, you may still continue to qualify for DI benefits. You might receive leave up to 52 weeks or until you exhaust your benefits, whichever comes first. |
I need to take care of a family member for COVID-19 related reasons
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1. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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2. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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3. Request California Paid Sick Days from your employer. You might be limited to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
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4. Request Family School Partnership Act leave from your employer. You may be able to receive 40 extra hours of leave in a year if the family member is a child who cannot remain in childcare or school due to COVID-19, but your employer does not need to pay you. |
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5. You may be able to take additional job-protected leave through the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) if you have a serious health condition. Request up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave from your employer. Your employer does not need to pay you while you are on CFRA leave, but you can apply for Paid Family Leave (PFL) for up to 8 weeks of partial wage replacement benefits during this time. Even if you do not qualify for CFRA you may apply for PFL for partial wage replacement benefits, but your employer will not be required to hold your job. |
My child’s school or daycare is closed for COVID-19 related reasons
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1. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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2. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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3. Request California Paid Sick Days from your employer. You might be limited to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
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4. Request Family School Partnership Act leave from your employer. You may be able to receive 40 extra hours of leave in a year if the family member is a child who cannot remain in childcare or school due to COVID-19, but your employer does not need to pay you. |
My hours got cut, I got laid off, or the business shut down
You may qualify for:
- Unemployment Insurance (UI) if you have earned a certain amount and if you have lost your job or hours through no fault of your own. You would go on UI after you have used up any sick days for which you qualify.
You apply for UI with the Employment Development Department (EDD). EDD will verify your eligibility and wage information to determine. UI usually lasts for 26 weeks (about 6 months). Your weekly UI benefit amount can range from $40 to $450 per week. You can estimate the amount by using the EDD Calculator.
To qualify for UI, you need to legally be able to work in the US.
2. Local COVID-19 specific leave or paid sick days. You should contact your local officials to determine if they have more generous COVID-19 specific leave or paid sick day laws.
I need to take time off to get my COVID-19 vaccination or recover from any side effects of the vaccination
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1. Request 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) from your employer. You could receive up to 80 hours (40 of those hours depend on a positive for COVID-19) while receiving your regular rate of pay. |
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2. Request any local county or city COVID-specific paid leave. |
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3. Request California Paid Sick Days from your employer. You might be limited to 3 days or 24 hours (whichever is more) in a one-year period. |
I need additional guidance.
If you require additional guidance or resources, please visit our Worker guidance page.
