Real questions, real answers.
About the guide
What you're getting, who it's for, and what's actually inside.
A personalized PDF guide that walks you through the California parental-leave programs that apply to your situation, not a generic handbook. It explains SDI (State Disability Insurance), PFL (Paid Family Leave), CFRA (California Family Rights Act aka Job Protection) and FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act aka Job Protection at larger companies), PDL (Pregnancy Disability Leave.), and DIEC (Disability Insurance Elective Coverage.)in plain language. The guide shows you how the programs fit together, gives you scripts and a timeline for talking to HR, and flags the fine-print items most parents miss. Delivered as an instant PDF download right after checkout.
Roughly 5–15 pages depending on your situation. Long enough to actually be useful, short enough to read in one sitting. Designed to be skimmable: clear headings, bullet points where they belong, and detailed language where the nuance matters.
No. The information is technically public, California's EDD publishes everything. The problem is it's spread across a dozen state websites, written in bureaucratic language, and doesn't tell you which programs apply to you or how they stack. The guide does that work for you, in plain language, tailored to your specific job and family situation.
Each guide is built around the situation you answered about. If your partner has a different role (birthing vs. non-birthing) or different employment situation (W-2 vs. 1099, full-time vs. part-time, etc.), they'll need their own guide for their path. The entitlements, math, and timing genuinely differ.
Come back and retake the questionnaire whenever your circumstances shift. New job, new role, going from full-time to part-time, transitioning between employment types. A new guide may better fit your new situation. Re-purchase is required for the new variant since each guide is its own deliverable.
All guides were verified against California EDD's published 2025 standards (SDI, PFL, PDL, CFRA, DIEC) and are updated annually as the state revises rates and rules. The cover of every PDF shows its "Last updated" date so you always know whether you're looking at current information.
Know your rights
A quick orientation to the alphabet soup. The guide goes deeper into each with out over use of jargon and acronyms. This is the 30-second version.
SDI (State Disability Insurance) and PFL (Paid Family Leave) are the two California pay programs, they put money in your pocket while you're out. CFRA (CA Family Rights Act) and FMLA (federal Family and Medical Leave Act) are job-protection programs, they keep your job waiting for you, but they don't pay you. You typically use them in combination: SDI/PFL for income, CFRA/FMLA for protection.
As of 2025, California pays 70–90% of your average weekly wage through SDI and PFL. The higher percentage applies to lower earners. Maximum weekly benefit is $1,681. Your guide does the math for your specific scenario.
Birthing parents can typically combine: up to ~17 weeks of PDL (Pregnancy Disability Leave for medical recovery), plus 8 weeks of PFL bonding leave, plus 12 weeks of CFRA job protection, though these overlap and stack in specific ways. Non-birthing parents have access to PFL bonding leave and CFRA. The exact length depends on your employer size, tenure, hours, and a handful of other factors. Your guide spells out the math for your situation.
No, but the path looks different. You access California's pay programs through DIEC (Disability Insurance Elective Coverage). You have to enroll before you need it (minimum 6 months ahead) and pay quarterly premiums. The 1099 guide walks through enrollment timing, costs, and what you qualify for once you're in.
HR teams often confuse employer-paid leave (a private benefit your company offers) with state leave programs (which run separately from your employer). They sometimes also push private disability plans that replace SDI rather than stacking with it. The guide helps you tell which is which and gives you specific language for the conversation.
Purchase & refund
Money things, plainly stated.
$39.99 USD, one-time, for the personalized guide. No subscription. No upsells.
All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay. Checkout is handled by Shopify, your card details never touch our servers.
If something's wrong with your guide, wrong scenario delivered, file won't open, content error, email us at hello@wolffpackco.com and we'll fix it or refund you. Because the guide is delivered instantly as a digital download, we generally don't refund "I changed my mind" purchases after download, but if your situation is unusual, ask. See the full refund policy for details.
Yes. At checkout, after you purchase the first guide, you'll see a discount code for the second partner guide. Just retake the questionnaire with your partner's employment situation and apply the code at checkout.
Privacy & data
What we collect, what we don't, and what we do with it.
Just the answers needed to match you to the right guide: parent role (birthing/non-birthing), employment type (W-2/1099/between jobs), tenure, hours, and whether your employer offers paid leave. We don't ask for your name, employer, salary, or any other identifying detail at the questionnaire step. Your answers are stored only in your browser session — they're cleared when you close the tab.
Shopify collects your email and billing address for purchase. We use your email to send you the guide and to respond if you contact support. We never sell your data, and we don't add you to a marketing list without your explicit opt-in.
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand which pages people visit and where the questionnaire could be smoother. No personally identifying information is shared with Google. See the privacy policy for the full list.
No. The guide is educational only. It explains the programs that exist and how they typically apply, but it isn't a substitute for an employment attorney for your specific case. If your situation is contentious or unusual (active disputes with HR, unusual employer structures, etc.), consult a CA employment attorney.
Still need help?
If you didn't find your answer here, we want to hear from you.
Email hello@wolffpackco.com. We respond within 24 hours, usually faster. There's also the contact page with a form.
No. We can clarify what's in your guide and point you toward the right section if you're confused, that's all part of the support included. For questions specific to your case (especially if there's an active dispute), you'll want a CA employment attorney. We can suggest a few if you ask.
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