25-260m Help Pregnant and New-Parent Patients Get Workplace Accommodations

Date: 03/17/25

You can help patients obtain pregnancy and childbirth-related accommodations and job protection in the workplace

California state law requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to a qualified employee based on the employee’s rights, which include:

• Time off for pre-natal care and to take care of pregnancy-related symptoms.
• Reasonable accommodations at work or changes at work to maintain a healthy pregnancy.
• Leave from work both before and after having the baby (most can get paid leave).
• Leave to bond with their baby (most can get paid leave).
• Lactation accommodations at work.

Providers play a key role in helping patients obtain these accommodations to ensure safe and continued employment throughout the pregnancy and afterward. Please help your patient by doing the following:

• Discuss with patient their employment situation.
• Provide medical documentation regarding pregnancy-related limits to the employer and outline reasonable accommodations.

A guide for health care providers

Health Net in collaboration with Legal Aid at Work, has developed a guide for health care and social service providers called Leave, Pay, and  Accommodations for Pregnant and Birthing Workers in California.

The guide explains the leave, pay, and accommodation rights available to pregnant and new-parent patients. It also explains how providers can help their patients access these rights and includes links to medical certification templates. The guide is available at Legal Aid at Work or at Leave, Pay, and Accommodations For Pregnant Workers.

We encourage you to review this guide and have a discussion with any patient who is pregnant or has become a new parent.

Additional information

If you have questions regarding the information contained in this update, contact the Health Net Provider Services Center by email, by telephone at 800-675-6110 or through the Health Net provider portal. Behavioral health providers can call 844-966-0298.

 

This information applies to Physicians, Participating Physician Groups (PPGs), Hospitals, Ancillary Providers, Community Supports (CS) Providers, Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Providers, and Behavioral Health Providers.

For Medi-Cal, this information applies to Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.