You Can Claim More Than You Think: A Guide to California Maternity Leave with Diane Gatza
Thinking about Maternity Leave? Start Here!
When it comes to maternity leave, many of us assume we’ll figure it out when the time comes and just take what we’re offered. But what no one tells you is that the process is confusing, benefits aren’t automatic, and if you don’t know how to navigate the system, you could miss out on thousands of dollars you’re entitled to.
In this interview, Whole Bunch Club founder Nathalia Ramos spoke with Diane Gatza, mom, advocate, and founder of California Maternity Leave, to demystify the system and help ALL parents (yes, dads you count too) to get the leave they deserve. From acronyms like SDI, PFL, CFRA, and FMLA to payroll planning, non-birthing parent rights, and debunking the biggest myths, Diane breaks it all down so you can protect your job, your income, and get more precious time back.
Key Takeaways:
Benefits vs. Entitlements: Shift Your Mindset
The first myth Diane wants to bust? That maternity leave is a benefit. It's not. It's an entitlement. Whether you are an employee or a business owner, you’ve been paying into these programs through every paycheck and payroll you’ve ever run. It is an insurance - and now is the time to claim!
““You wouldn’t feel bad using your car insurance after an accident. Why feel bad using the leave you’ve earned?””
Maternity Leave Isn’t Automatic
While California has some of the most generous family leave policies in the country, they're not automatic. You have to understand the system to access your full benefits. And that system is complicated.
Diane explains how the various state and federal programs work:
SDI (State Disability Insurance): For birth recovery, usually up to 8 weeks paid
PFL (Paid Family Leave): For bonding time, available to both birthing and non-birthing parents
CFRA & FMLA: Job protection laws that run in parallel but don’t provide pay
With the right planning, you can claim far more than you think.
When to Start Planning? Before You’re Pregnant.
If you want to access supplemental disability insurance (which can significantly increase your paid time off), you need to sign up before you're pregnant. Once you're pregnant, it won’t cover you.
For business owners and self-employed parents, early planning is especially crucial. Diane walks through how to structure your payroll and reporting before you go on leave to ensure eligibility, avoid red flags, and maximize benefits.
“I didn’t even know I was eligible for paid leave as a business owner until I found Diane. She changed everything for me.”
What About Dads, Partners, and Adoptive Parents?
Non-birthing parents are often left out of the conversation, but they’re eligible for bonding leave too. Whether you’re a dad, partner, foster parent, or adopting, you can take time off and get paid in California.
A pro tip from Diane: When asked to choose between "primary" and "secondary" caregiver, always ask for primary. Legally, your employer can’t define who that is.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are just a few traps Diane sees all the time:
Waiting too long to apply
Not understanding overlapping leave laws
Fluctuating or misreported income for self-employed parents
Assuming your employer will guide you (spoiler: most won’t)
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a freelancer, founder, full-time employee, or first-time dad—you have rights. Diane’s mission is to help families understand and claim them.
Diane Gatza
Diane is an engineer, home birth mom of two, & the CEO and Founder of California Maternity Leave Consulting. As a problem-solving engineer at heart, Diane established California Maternity Leave Consulting after navigating two maternity leaves and experiencing firsthand the lack of paperwork support, inability to find easy-to-understand information on basic rights and realizing it is up to the employee to figure out how this whole maternity leave thing "works."
As the self-proclaimed “Rosetta Stone of Maternity Benefits,” Diane’s passion is breaking down complex benefit topics into bite-sized and easy-to-understand pieces so women feel empowered to put together and advocate for the maternity leave they deserve. After working with over 3,000 women to help them maximize their maternity leave benefits she has plans to keep expanding and support women in States outside of CA.
In her spare time, Diane enjoys meditation, going to Disney with her two kids and taking sewing classes with the hopes of one day being on Project Runway.
Visit www.californiamaternityleave.com or Instagram to learn more
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