Paid Parental Leave Benefit Becomes Effective July 1, 2025

Beginning July 1, 2025, the Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit will become available to all covered Directors Guild of America–Producer Health Plan participants with qualifying health coverage. PPL is a separately funded benefit that was negotiated by the DGA. The purpose of this benefit is to provide partial income replacement for participants who take leave from employment to bond with their newborn, newly adopted or newly fostered child. The PPL benefit will be available for a 12-month period from the date of birth, adoption or fostership. A qualifying participant can take only one Paid Parental Leave benefit in any 24-month period, even if there are multiple births during this period. To qualify, you must be on Earned Coverage (i.e., Earned Active, Earned Inactive), Regular Carry-Over or COBRA Continuation Coverage at the time of the qualifying event. Extended Self-Pay Coverage, Total Disability Extension or Retiree Coverages (i.e., Retiree Carry-Over, Certified Retiree) are excluded and not eligible for the PPL benefit. Additionally, the qualifying health coverage must have contributions made on your behalf on either initial compensation or residual compensation by employers that are obligated to contribute for the PPL benefit (currently employers covered by the Basic Agreement or Freelance Live & Tape Television Agreement) during the applicable earnings period. If you have qualifying health coverage, the PPL benefit amount is based on your level of Health Plan coverage at the time of birth, adoption or fostership as shown in the table below:

The PPL benefit is paid weekly for up to 8 weeks, and the weeks do not need to be taken sequentially. However, the benefit may be taken only in full week increments (or 7 consecutive days). Although you must have qualifying health coverage under the Health Plan at the time of birth, adoption or fostering of a child, you do not have to maintain your health coverage throughout the leave period.

The PPL benefit application materials will become available on July 1, 2025 by request from the Health Plan office.

Eligibility

Paid Parental Leave is intended to provide partial income replacement for participants who take leave from employment to bond with their newborn, newly adopted or newly fostered child. To qualify for the PPL benefit, the following requirements must be satisfied:

• You must have qualifying health coverage under the Health Plan at the time of the child’s birth, date of adoption or placement of adoption or fostering. Your qualifying health coverage only needs to be in place at the time of the birth, adoption or placement for adoption or fostering and is not required to be maintained throughout the leave period.
• The qualifying health coverage may be Earned Coverage (i.e., Earned Active, Earned Inactive), Regular Carry-Over or COBRA Continuation Coverage. Extended Self-Pay Coverage, Total Disability Extension or Retiree Coverages (i.e., Retiree Carry-Over, Certified Retiree) are excluded and not eligible for the PPL benefit.
• At least some of the qualifying health coverage must have been earned from contributions made on your behalf by employers that are obligated to contribute for the PPL benefit during the applicable earnings period on either initial compensation or residual compensation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, individuals will be eligible for the PPL benefit if the qualifying health coverage on or after July 1, 2025 was based on an earnings period that began prior to July 1, 2024 for which no PPL contributions were required and included any initial compensation or residual compensation covered under the Basic Agreement or Freelance Live & Tape Television Agreement (FLTTA). Coverage as a result of work performed solely for employers not obligated to contribute to the PPL benefit is deemed ineligible for the PPL benefit.
• If you and your spouse both have qualifying health coverage, then each of you is separately eligible for an individual PPL benefit, which can be taken concurrently or separately.
• The newborn, adopted or fostered child must be new to you. For example, if you adopt the child of a spouse or partner and the child has already lived with you, the PPL benefit would not be available. In addition, you are not entitled to a second PPL benefit if you subsequently adopt a child you were fostering.
• If there are multiple births, adoptions or foster placements at the same time (e.g., twins, adopting multiple children at once), there is only one PPL benefit.
• You can take only one PPL benefit in any 24-month period.
• Dependents of participants are not eligible to receive the PPL benefit.
• You must not work for any employer during, or be paid by any employer for, the period for which the PPL is taken.

Applying For Paid Parental Leave

To apply for Paid Parental Leave, you must submit the following three items to the Health Plan office:

1. Application Part I – Paid Parental Leave Benefit Payment Request
2. Application Part II – – Attestation that you will not perform work for any employer — whether in industry or elsewhere — during the period for which you are receiving the PPL benefit, or be paid by any employer for the period for which you are receiving the PPL benefit
3. Supporting documentation for your child if it was not previously submitted to the Health Plan office (e.g., birth certificate, adoption/fostering documents, and the like)

The PPL benefit application materials will become available on July 1, 2025 at www.dgaplans.org/ppl and by request from the Health Plan office.

NOTE: The PPL benefit is coordinated with any income replacement benefit to which you may be entitled under local, state or federal law. You must, therefore, disclose whether you are receiving or will receive any local-, state- or federal-mandated family leave benefits in connection with your child. Under the rules that apply to the PPL benefit, such family leave benefits are offset against the PPL benefit.

You must advise the Health Plan office immediately if, after applying for PPL, you decide to return to work for an employer during (or are going to be paid by an employer for) any portion of the period for which you applied for PPL benefits.

If you lose your qualifying health coverage after your child’s birth, adoption or placement for adoption or fostering, the PPL benefit remains available to you.

Miscellaneous Considerations

• Make sure you use your full 8 weeks of PPL benefit within 12 months of your child’s birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or fostering.
• The monies distributed via the PPL benefit will not be counted toward earning pension benefits or vesting credit or toward eligibility for health coverage.
• All PPL benefits are subject to applicable tax deductions and withholdings. This is a taxable benefit for which you will receive a W-2.

Payment Duration and Amount

Once you apply for the PPL benefit and the attestation is signed and a determination by the Health Plan office is made that the forms were appropriate and all requirements are met, Health Plan participants on the Premier Choice and DGA Gold Premier plans will receive $2,000 per week and those on the Choice, DGA Gold Choice, DGA Silver and DGA Bronze Plans will receive $1,200 per week for a period of up to 8 weeks.

The PPL benefit may be taken sequentially, or it can be broken into non-consecutive weekly increments. The minimum increment is one week (seven consecutive days). Payment will be made on a weekly basis. The child must be in your home for all the weeks for which payment is made.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I get started?

Once the child is born, adopted, or placed with you for adoption or fostering, contact the Health Plan and let us know you have a new dependent and a PPL benefit package can be sent to you. If you would like, you may also request a PPL benefit package be sent to you prior to the birth, adoption or fostership of your new child . A copy of the application will also be available on the Plans’ website at www.dgaplans.org/ppl. It is important to note the benefit payments will not be issued until all information, including documentation to verify the new dependent, is provided to the Health Plan.

For questions on how to fill out the application, please contact the Health Plan office at (323) 866-2200, Ext. 502, toll-free (877) 866-2200, Ext. 502 or via email at: Eligibility@dgaplans.org.

Do I have to use the PPL benefit immediately?

As long as you have the qualifying health coverage when the child is born to, adopted, or placed for adoption or fostering by you, you have 12 months in which to apply for and receive the PPL benefit. You can start right away or at a time that is more convenient to you. Please keep in mind that the benefit is 8 weeks in duration, you have 12 months to take advantage of the benefit, and it ends after the 12-month period, regardless of whether all weeks have been used. The 12 months to use the PPL benefit begins on the date the child is born to, adopted by you, or placed for adoption or fostering.

If I only want to use a few weeks of the benefit, can I do that?

Yes. You can use all 8 weeks sequentially, or it can be broken into non-consecutive weekly increments.

The child’s other parent and I are both participants with qualifying Health Plan coverage. Do each of us get an individual PPL benefit?

If you are both participants with qualifying health coverage on the date of the child’s birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or fostering, each of you will have your own individual PPL benefit. You can each take your leave payments as you see fit. If you want to have 8 consecutive weeks, then each of you will receive the appropriate payment amount for 8 weeks ($2,000 per week for participants on Premier Choice and DGA Gold Premier coverage and $1,200 per week for participants on all other qualifying health coverages). You can use the weeks sequentially or broken into non-consecutive weekly increments. There can be gaps if you need to work or find that this is better for your family.

Please note dependents with Health Plan coverage are not eligible to receive the PPL benefit. If you are a participant with qualifying health coverage and your spouse has dependent coverage under the Health Plan, your spouse is NOT eligible for the PPL benefit.

If I want to take the PPL benefit for a few weeks, then go back to work and then take more weeks when my assignment is done, can I do that?

You can use your 8 weeks of benefits in any order that best suits you. There are three caveats to keep in mind:

1. The PPL benefit begins with the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. From that date, you have a 12-month period in which to request some or all of your PPL benefit.
2. If you do not use your entire benefit within the 12-month period, you cannot reclaim the unused weeks at a later date.
3. Each time you seek to renew your PPL benefit payments during the 12-month period, you will have to fill out a new PPL benefit application and attestation form.

What if I get a residual or some other non-work payment while taking the PPL benefit?

As long as you are not working and the work payment is not for the period for which you are taking leave, you may continue to receive your PPL benefit. Any residual or other similar non-work payments received during the leave period will not impact your PPL benefit.

Is the PPL benefit taxable?

Yes, the PPL benefit is taxable. You will receive a W-2 for all monies received and will have to fill out a W-4 form (or W-8BEN, if applicable). Depending on where you live, you may also need to complete a state tax withholding form. NOTE: The PPL benefit will only be paid to the individual participant, not to a corporation or other entity.

If I have, adopt or foster a second child during the PPL benefit period, do I get a second PPL benefit?

There is only one PPL benefit available in any 24-month period. If you have qualifying health coverage at the time of your second child’s birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or fostering during the first PPL benefit period, you are eligible to apply for the second PPL benefit 24 months after the first PPL benefit period began. You will have 12 months from the date of your second child’s birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or fostering to utilize the second PPL benefit. However, the application for the PPL benefit for your second child will not be accepted until 24 months have elapsed since your first child’s birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or fostering, and the PPL benefit for your second child must still be taken within 12 months of your second child’s birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or fostering.

Does this new rule require my employer to give me time off if I have a child?

No.

For additional questions, you may also contact the Health Plan office at (323) 866-2200, Ext. 502, toll-free (877) 866-2200, Ext. 502 or via email at: Eligibility@dgaplans.org for assistance.