Eligible California residents have had state-sponsored paid parental leave for years, but experts say not everyone can access and use it.

Why it matters: Employees who don't take advantage of time off policies could miss out on payments and benefits crucial for family bonding and recovery, such as improved mental and physical health outcomes.

Context: California enacted the country's first paid family leave program in 2002. It provides up to eight weeks of benefits to eligible workers such as parents bonding with a new child — defined as a baby, adopted, or foster child.

• Depending on their income, parents receive about 60% to 70% of wages earned five to 18 months before their claim start date.
• The program is funded via a 1.1% tax on the majority of California workers' paychecks.

Caveat: "Just because there's a policy that exists at the state level doesn't necessarily mean that everybody who lives in that state is going to equally access it," Stanford health policy professor Maya Rossin-Slater told Axios.

• There's still a "significant amount of variation across companies and employers in terms of how information [about paid leave] is transmitted to workers and how much help is provided ... in terms of navigating these benefits," she noted.

Between the lines: Rossin-Slater's research has shown that higher-income workers are "much more likely" to use the program than lower-income workers, who are often afraid they could be let go from their jobs. California's program doesn't provide job protection.

Zoom in: San Francisco implemented its own ordinance in 2016, becoming the first U.S. city to require fully paid parental leave.

• Under the law, employers that have 20 or more employees must provide supplemental compensation on top of the state program to ensure a worker receives the equivalent of their full salary for up to 12 weeks.

Yes, but: A 2020 study found that while the ordinance increased parental leave uptake in San Francisco by 13% among fathers, there was no significant change among mothers.

Racial disparities

The U.S. offers 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid family leave for some employees, but it doesn't have a paid federal parental leave policy. That's where state law comes in.

By the numbers: Only about 27% of Americans working in the private sector have access to paid family leave when they welcome a new child, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau.

• Meanwhile, a majority of countries guarantee paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave.

Zoom in: There are three main ways to get paid in the U.S. during parental leave, and they can be combined.

1. Through your employer.

• Rules vary: It could be you receive nothing ranging up to being paid for a year after birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Employers often say you must work for the company for a set amount of time before you can use paid leave benefits.

2. Via California's paid leave laws, as discussed above.

• You can receive bonding leave in the state for 60% to 70% of your weekly pay for up to eight weeks.
• In San Francisco, you might qualify for additional weekly payments from your employer.

3. From short-term disability, if you're a birthing parent.

• California offers four weeks of disability insurance before the expected delivery date (and more if the baby comes late), and an additional six to eight weeks after delivery.
• Disability insurance could be extended if the parent has complications.

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