SF Expands Paid Parental Leave Rights

On August 7, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed a new law cutting the amount of time a covered employee has to work for a covered employer before being eligible for paid parental leave under the City’s Paid Parental Leve Ordinance (“PPLO”). Previously, a covered employee in San Francisco had to work for a covered employer for 180 days before being eligible for paid leave under the PPLO. Now, as a result of this new law, a covered employee becomes eligible for paid parental leave after just 90 days of employment with a covered employer.

A “covered employer” obligated to comply with San Francisco’s PPLO is any private employer with 20 or more employees anywhere in the world. A “covered employee” eligible for benefits under San Francisco’s PPLO is an employee who (1) performs at least 8 hours of work per week for a covered employer within the geographic boundaries of San Francisco; (2) works at least 40% of their total weekly hours for that employer within the geographic boundaries of San Francisco; and (3) has worked for the covered employer at least 90 days before the paid leave period begins.

This new law expanding paid parental leave rights in San Francisco is being implemented in phases. For larger employers with 100 or more employees, the new law applies to leaves starting on or after January 1, 2027. For employers with between 20 and 99 employees, the new law applies to leaves starting on or after January 1, 2028. Small employers with less than 20 employees are fully exempt from San Francisco’s PPLO and, thus, do not have to provide paid parental leave benefits.

Covered employers should plan to update their employee handbooks before the end of this year. Covered employers should also monitor the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement’s (“OLSE’s”) website for updated posters, notices, and forms. You can read more about San Francisco’s PPLO here.