RANCHO CORDOVA—Lorna Richardson Evans has her hands full with triplets, so she took advantage of the Paid Family Leave Program.

Not only did she get eight weeks for maternity leave, but she also got another twelve weeks to spend with her newly-expanded family.

“Because you have to nurse them and you have to nurture them and they’re so little and they only came home at four pounds and I would have had to stay home and lost my job and money if I didn’t have that opportunity,” she said.

According to the California Employment Development Department, 176,000 Californians filed claims for benefits in the first year of the program. 138-thousand of those claims were paid.

If the employer doesn’t pay, you and I do through the state disability insurance that’s deducted from your paycheck. 13-million workers in the state are covered under the fund.

“The workers come back more relaxed and knowing that they were able to take care of their family and they’re so much more productive for the employers,” said Elisa Bupara of First 5 California.

But the state program does not provide job protection. Certain claimants may have their jobs protected under the California Family Rights Act.

There are plenty of people who are in favor of the paid family leave law but there are also those who oppose it saying small businesses are the ones that are going to take the hit.

Allan Zaremberg with the state Chamber of Commerce told Fox 40 it’s very difficult for a business with only ten or fewer employees to survive if two or more people are off at any given time.

But Lorna says she’s lucky she works for Verizon which has been very supportive of her leave, and her need to spend time with her babies.

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