Time off, injuries and losing a job: the complete guide

This guide is general information, not legal advice. It covers California rules. Some jobs follow different rules, such as federal government work and jobs under a union contract. Where a rule has an exception, we say so in the same section.

On this page

• Which kind of help fits my situation?
• How do paid sick days work?
• Can I take time off for family and keep my job?
• What are my rights when I am pregnant?
• How does State Disability Insurance pay me when I cannot work?
• How does Paid Family Leave work?
• Can I get these benefits without papers?
• What if I get hurt at work?
• Can I get unemployment?
• When must I get my last paycheck?
• What if I am punished for taking leave or getting hurt?
• How do the pieces fit together?
• What changed in 2025 and 2026?
• Who can help for free in the Bay Area?
• Questions people ask

Which kind of help fits my situation?

Start with what happened. Each situation has its own program, and some work together. Two ideas will save you a lot of confusion:

1. Leave is your right to be away from work and come back. It comes from laws like the California Family Rights Act and Pregnancy Disability Leave.
2. Pay while you are away comes from somewhere else: your paid sick days, the state's Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave, or workers' compensation.

Leave without pay is common. Pay without leave is common too. EDD says plainly that Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave pay benefits but do not protect your job. So for most situations you need to check both.

Mistake to avoid: waiting until you feel better to find out about benefits. Several deadlines are short. Disability Insurance has a 49 day filing deadline. A work injury should be reported to your employer within 30 days at most, and right away is best.

How do paid sick days work?

Most workers in California get at least 5 days or 40 hours of paid sick leave a year, whichever is more. That includes part time, temporary and household workers.

• You start earning on your first day, at least 1 hour for every 30 hours you work. You can start using it on your 90th day.
• You can use it for yourself or family, including a child of any age, a parent, a parent in law, and one person you choose each year. It also covers checkups, safe time if you are a victim of certain crimes, and jury duty or court witness duty.
• Ask out loud or in writing. Give notice ahead of time if you can, or as soon as you can if it is sudden.
• You do not have to find someone to cover your shift. Your employer generally cannot deny the time because you did not bring a doctor's note.
• Your balance must appear on your pay stub, or on a paper given with your pay.
• Sick pay is due by the next regular payday.
• Unused sick days are usually not paid out when you leave, but they come back if you are rehired within a year.

Paid sick days fill gaps. You can use them during the first unpaid days of a Disability Insurance claim, during reproductive loss leave, and for prenatal checkups.

Mistake to avoid: assuming you have no sick days because no one told you. Look at your pay stub. If the balance is missing, write that down. Missing sick pay can be part of a wage claim.

For every detail, including city rules in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, see Paid sick days in California.

Can I take time off for family and keep my job?

Often, yes. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) gives up to 12 weeks of job protected leave in a 12 month period. You qualify if all of these are true:

• Your employer has 5 or more employees.
• You have worked there more than 12 months.
• You worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before your leave. That is about 24 hours a week.

What CFRA covers

• Bonding with a new child, by birth, adoption or foster care, within one year of the child arriving
• Caring for a family member with a serious health condition
• Your own serious health condition that keeps you from working

What CFRA gives you. When your leave ends, you return to your same job or a comparable one. CFRA itself is unpaid, unless your employer pays or you use your own paid time off. Paid Family Leave or Disability Insurance from the state can pay part of your wages during the same weeks.

If you do not qualify for CFRA, you still have paid sick days, and you may still get Paid Family Leave or Disability Insurance money. Your job is just not protected by CFRA during that time. Ask a clinic whether another law covers you.

Bereavement leave. If a family member dies, California law gives up to 5 days of bereavement leave, to use within 3 months of the death. The days do not have to be in a row. It covers you if your employer has 5 or more workers and you have worked there at least 30 days. Family means a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner or parent in law. If your employer has no paid bereavement policy, the days can be unpaid, but you can use vacation, personal days, sick days or comp time. Your employer can ask for proof, such as a death certificate or an obituary, within 30 days (Government Code 12945.7).

Reproductive loss leave. After a miscarriage, stillbirth, failed adoption, failed surrogacy or unsuccessful assisted reproduction, you can take up to 5 days off. The rules:

• You must have worked there at least 30 days.
• Private employers with 5 or more employees, and all public employers, are covered.
• The days do not need to be in a row. Use them within 3 months of the loss.
• You can take up to 20 days in 12 months if you have more than one loss.
• The leave may be unpaid unless your employer has a policy. You can use vacation, personal leave, sick days or comp time.
• The state's Civil Rights Department says your employer may not ask for proof, and must keep your request private.

Survivors of violence. If you or a family member is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or another crime of violence, you have a right to time off and safety changes at work. All employers must allow time off to get a restraining order. Employers with 25 or more workers must also allow time off for medical care, counseling, safety planning, relocation and court. See Where survivors of abuse can get free help.

What to bring when you ask: the dates you need, the reason in simple words, and a note from your health care provider if your employer asks for one.

Mistake to avoid: quitting because you think you cannot get time off. Ask first, in writing. Use the How to ask for leave script.

What are my rights when I am pregnant?

You have the right to time off when pregnancy keeps you from working, changes at work when you need them, and breaks to pump breast milk. These rights work together.

Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)

• Covers employers with 5 or more full or part time employees.
• Gives up to 4 months of leave per pregnancy, for the time your health care provider says you are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition.
• No minimum time on the job. You can qualify on your first day.
• The leave is unpaid by itself. Pay can come from State Disability Insurance, your sick days or paid time off, or your employer.
• If your employer normally pays for your health insurance, that coverage continues during the leave.
• Four months is the most. The actual length depends on how long your provider says you cannot work, and on the hours you usually work.

Changes at work. At those same employers, you can ask for reasonable changes at work for a condition related to pregnancy. Ask in writing, and bring your provider's advice.

Then baby bonding. After PDL ends, CFRA can give up to 12 more weeks to bond with your baby, if you qualify for CFRA. CFRA bonding is separate from PDL and can come right after it.

Pumping at work. Every employer must give you a reasonable break each time you need to pump.

• Time beyond your normal paid rest breaks can be unpaid.
• The space must be private, close to your work area, and not a bathroom. You must have access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator or cooler.
• An employer with fewer than 50 employees may skip some of these duties only if it shows a serious hardship.
• If you are denied a lactation break, you can be owed one extra hour of pay for that day.

Money during pregnancy and after birth. State Disability Insurance can pay for up to 4 weeks before your due date and up to 6 weeks after birth, or 8 weeks after a cesarean. Your provider can certify more time if there are complications. Then Paid Family Leave can pay up to 8 weeks for bonding. See How do the pieces fit together?

Health care. Pregnant people can apply for full Medi-Cal whatever their immigration status, and it lasts for one year after pregnancy. See Full health coverage for adults in 2026. WIC also helps with food during pregnancy and for children under 5. See Food help for your family.

Mistake to avoid: waiting until the last week to tell your employer. Tell them as soon as you know your dates, in writing, and keep a copy.

How does State Disability Insurance pay me when I cannot work?

If an illness, injury or pregnancy keeps you from your regular work for at least 8 days, State Disability Insurance (often shown as "SDI" or "CASDI" on your pay stub) can pay part of your wages. If your job caused the injury or illness, start with workers' compensation, explained below.

Who qualifies. You may qualify if:

• You cannot do your regular work for at least 8 days.
• You earned at least $300 with SDI taken out of your pay during the base period. That is the wages from about 5 to 18 months before your claim starts.
• Your health care provider certifies that you cannot work.

How much. About 70 to 90 percent of your wages from that base period, between $50 and $1,765 a week. Lower earners get closer to 90 percent. EDD confirms your exact amount when it approves your claim.

How long. Up to 52 weeks for most workers.

Step by step

1. File within 49 days from the day your disability began. You can file online in SDI Online if you have a Social Security number, or on paper.
2. Your provider certifies your disability. Tell them you are filing.
3. The first 7 days are not paid. EDD calls this the waiting period. Paid sick days can cover it.
4. Watch your mail. EDD may send forms or questions. Answer quickly.

It pays, but it does not hold your job. EDD says Disability Insurance does not provide job protection. Your job may be protected by CFRA or Pregnancy Disability Leave. See Can I take time off for family and keep my job?

What to bring: your ID, your employer's name and address, the last day you worked, the first day you could not work, your health care provider's name and address, and your pay stubs.

Mistakes to avoid: waiting past 49 days; giving a different first day of disability than your provider gives; ignoring EDD letters.

Paid in cash with no SDI taken out? You may not have the $300 in SDI wages, but do not guess. Call EDD or a clinic. If your employer should have been taking out SDI and did not, a clinic can tell you what to do.

How does Paid Family Leave work?

Paid Family Leave (PFL) is part of State Disability Insurance. It pays part of your wages for up to 8 weeks in a 12 month period when you take time off to:

• Bond with a new child, by birth, adoption or foster care, within the child's first year
• Care for a seriously ill family member: your child, parent, parent in law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or registered domestic partner. A chosen family member is not covered for this pay until July 1, 2028, when a 2025 law (SB 590) adds one "designated person."
• Help a family member in the military who is being sent to another country

Who qualifies. You must have earned at least $300 with SDI taken out of your pay in the last 18 months, and be working or looking for work when your leave starts.

How much. The same as Disability Insurance: about 70 to 90 percent of your wages, $50 to $1,765 a week.

When to file. File no earlier than the first day of your leave and no later than 41 days after it begins, or you may lose benefits. There is no waiting period: pay starts from the first day of leave. Immigration status does not affect eligibility (EDD, checked October 21, 2026).

It does not hold your job. EDD says PFL provides benefit payments but not job protection. CFRA protects the job if you qualify. If you do not qualify for CFRA, talk to your employer and a clinic before you take the time.

Step by step

1. Talk to your employer first, in writing, about the dates.
2. File with EDD online or on paper. EDD tells you what proof it needs, such as a provider's certification for a sick family member.
3. If you were on pregnancy Disability Insurance, EDD sends you a Paid Family Leave bonding claim form after your last disability payment.

Mistake to avoid: thinking Paid Family Leave and CFRA are the same thing. One pays you. The other protects your job. You usually want both.

Questions about your claim? Call EDD Paid Family Leave at 1-877-238-4373.

Can I get these benefits without papers?

Some, yes. Here is the honest picture.

Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave. EDD says citizenship and immigration status do not affect eligibility. You do not need a Social Security number, but without one you cannot file online. Ask EDD for a paper application. EDD also says Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave benefits will not affect your path to citizenship.

Workers' compensation. California's law covers employees "whether lawfully or unlawfully employed," and the state says injured workers are eligible for benefits for work related injuries.

Leave rights. California law says its job protections apply to all workers whatever their immigration status. There is one limit: getting your old job back is not available when federal law forbids it. That limit can matter for job protected leave. Ask a clinic about your own case before you rely on getting your job back.

Mistake to avoid: using someone else's Social Security number to file online. Use the paper application in your own name instead.

What if I get hurt at work?

Tell your employer right away, and ask for a workers' compensation claim form. Workers' compensation pays for your medical care and part of your lost wages when an injury or illness comes from your job. This includes injuries that build up over time, like back or wrist pain from repeated work.

Do this, in this order

1. Get medical care. In an emergency, call 911.
2. Tell your supervisor or employer in writing, today if you can. Keep a copy. The state warns that if your employer does not learn about the injury within 30 days, and that blocks a full investigation, you could lose your right to benefits.
3. Get the claim form (DWC 1). Your employer must give or mail it to you within one working day after learning about your injury or illness.
4. Fill out your part and give it back. Your employer must date it and give you a copy within one working day of getting it back. If you do not return the form, you may risk your right to benefits.
5. Keep everything: the form, medical papers, receipts and notes of who you spoke to and when.

What you can get. Workers' compensation has five basic benefits:

• Medical care for the injury
• Temporary disability pay while you cannot work. It is figured at about two thirds of your average weekly pay. For injuries in 2026, it is at least $264.61 and at most $1,764.11 a week (DIR, December 2025)
• Permanent disability pay if the injury has lasting effects
• A voucher for retraining for some injuries
• Death benefits for the family

Once you turn in the claim form, you can get up to $10,000 in medical care while your employer decides whether to accept your claim.

Your doctor. For the first 30 days, your employer usually chooses the treating doctor, unless you named your own doctor before you were hurt, or your employer uses a network of doctors. There are ways to change doctors after that.

No insurance? If your employer illegally has no workers' compensation insurance, a state fund, the Uninsured Employers' Benefit Trust Fund, may still pay benefits, and then goes after the employer.

Workers' compensation or Disability Insurance? If the injury came from your job, it is workers' compensation. If it did not, it is State Disability Insurance. If you are not sure, or your employer denies the claim, ask the state for help. Do not stop getting care while it is sorted out.

State help. The Division of Workers' Compensation Information and Assistance Unit explains your rights and helps with forms. Call 1-800-736-7401 on weekdays during business hours. Nearby offices are in San Jose (224 Airport Parkway, Suite 600, (408) 277-1292), San Francisco (455 Golden Gate Ave., 2nd Floor, (415) 703-5020) and Oakland (1515 Clay St., 6th Floor, (510) 622-2861). Ask for an interpreter.

Mistakes to avoid: waiting to see if the pain goes away before telling anyone; telling only a coworker; signing papers you do not understand; giving up because the boss is upset. It is illegal for your employer to treat you worse because you asked for workers' compensation.

Can I get unemployment?

If you have permission to work and lost your job through no fault of your own, yes, you can apply. Unemployment Insurance pays $40 to $450 a week while you look for a new job. The most you can get in one benefit year is 26 times your weekly amount, or half of your base period wages if that is less (Unemployment Insurance Code 1281). For questions about a claim, EDD's self service line is 1-866-333-4606 (EDD UI FAQs).

Who qualifies. EDD says you must:

• Be unemployed through no fault of your own, or working fewer hours
• Have earned enough wages in your base period
• Be able to work, available to work, and looking for work
• Have a Social Security number, or authorization to work in the United States if you are not a citizen, when you apply and each time you certify
• Have been in a satisfactory immigration status and allowed to work when you earned the wages used for your claim

If you quit, you need to show you had a good reason. If you were fired, your employer must prove misconduct. If you are not sure, apply and let EDD decide.

Step by step

1. Apply as soon as your work stops or your hours are cut. Have your recent work history ready: employer names, addresses and dates.
2. The first week is an unpaid waiting period.
3. Certify every two weeks to keep getting paid. Answer every question honestly.
4. Keep looking for work and keep a list of where you applied.
5. Answer EDD right away whenever it contacts you.

No work permission? California does not have an unemployment program for workers without work permission. You may still have money owed to you: your final paycheck, unused vacation, and pay for any hours or breaks you were shorted. See When must I get my last paycheck?, and check Food help and 211 for help while you look for work.

Your DACA or work permit ended? Unemployment needs work permission on each certification, so it can stop when your permit ends. See What happens to my job if my DACA work permit ends?

Mistake to avoid: waiting weeks to apply because you hope to get the job back. Apply right away. If you go back to work, you simply stop certifying.

When must I get my last paycheck?

Right away, in most cases. Your final pay includes every hour you worked and all your unused vacation.

• Unused vacation or paid time off must be paid at your final rate. "Use it or lose it" vacation policies are illegal.
• Unused sick days are usually not paid out, unless your employer's policy says so.
• Quit without notice? You can ask to have your final check mailed. The day it is mailed counts as the day you were paid.
• Late on purpose? If your employer willfully pays late, they owe you a penalty of one day's pay for each day you waited, for up to 30 calendar days. Not being able to afford it is not an excuse.
• No release required. Your employer must pay the wages it agrees it owes without making you sign anything.

Example. You earn $20 an hour and work 8 hour days. That is $160 a day. If your final pay is 10 days late on purpose, the penalty is $1,600. At 30 days, it is $4,800.

Not paid? File a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner. You can claim most unpaid wages going back 3 years, and the penalty for as long as you can claim the wages. The office does not ask about immigration status. See When you must get your last paycheck and How to file a wage claim.

Mistake to avoid: signing a paper that says you were paid in full when you were not. Write "I do not agree" or do not sign, and talk to a clinic.

What if I am punished for taking leave or getting hurt?

That may be illegal, and you can file a complaint. Write down what happened, with dates, and get help quickly because deadlines apply.

Sick days. Your employer may not deny or punish you for using sick days. If you are punished within 30 days of a complaint about sick days, the law presumes it was retaliation.

Leave and pregnancy. The Civil Rights Department takes complaints about CFRA, pregnancy, and other leave. Start on its How to file a complaint page, or call 800-884-1684 (TTY 800-700-2320, or California Relay 711). The department says it does not ask about citizenship or immigration status.

Immigration threats are retaliation. If your employer threatens to call immigration because you asked for leave, filed for benefits or reported an injury, that is illegal in California. See What if my boss punishes me for speaking up?

What to bring: your written request for leave, any reply, doctor's notes, pay stubs before and after, texts, and the names of anyone who saw what happened.

How do the pieces fit together?

Most people use two or three of these at once. Here are the common paths. Your dates may differ, so check each step with your employer, EDD or a clinic.

Having a baby, at an employer with 5 or more workers

1. Before birth: use sick days for checkups. Ask for changes at work if your provider recommends them.
2. About 4 weeks before your due date: start Pregnancy Disability Leave, and file for State Disability Insurance.
3. After birth: Disability Insurance usually continues for 6 weeks, or 8 after a cesarean. Pregnancy Disability Leave covers the same time.
4. Then bonding: if you qualify for CFRA, take up to 12 weeks of job protected bonding leave. File for Paid Family Leave, which pays up to 8 of those weeks.
5. Back at work: use lactation breaks.

The other parent. A partner can take CFRA bonding leave if they qualify, and file for their own Paid Family Leave within the child's first year.

A serious illness that is not from work

1. Use sick days for the first days.
2. File for State Disability Insurance within 49 days. The first 7 days are not paid.
3. If you qualify for CFRA, your job is protected for up to 12 weeks.

An injury at work

1. Get care and report it in writing right away.
2. Return the DWC 1 claim form.
3. Workers' compensation pays medical care and part of your lost wages.
4. If your claim is delayed or denied, call the Information and Assistance Unit at 1-800-736-7401 and ask whether to also apply for Disability Insurance.

Caring for a sick parent

1. Use sick days for appointments.
2. Ask your employer for CFRA leave, if you qualify.
3. File for Paid Family Leave for up to 8 weeks of partial pay.

Losing your job

1. Make sure you get your final paycheck on time, with all vacation.
2. Apply for unemployment right away, if you have work permission.
3. If your pay was short at any point, you may have a wage claim too.

What changed in 2025 and 2026?

These changes are confirmed on official sources as of October 21, 2026. Laws keep changing, so check the agency page linked in each item before you file.

• January 1, 2025: State Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave started paying a higher share of wages, about 70 to 90 percent depending on income, for claims starting on or after that date. Older guides that say 60 to 70 percent are out of date.
• January 1, 2025: paid sick days can be used for jury duty and for appearing in court as a witness under a subpoena or court order.
• January 1, 2025: complaints about time off for survivors of violence now go to the Civil Rights Department, for actions on or after that date.
• January 1, 2026: crime victims and their family members can take time off for certain criminal court proceedings, and paid sick days can be used for these proceedings.
• 2026: the most Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave can pay is $1,765 a week. The least is $50.
• February 1, 2026, and every year after: employers must give workers a written notice of their rights, including workers' compensation. Ask for it if you did not get it.
• September 18, 2026: federal public charge rules changed. If you have an immigration case, ask a lawyer before applying for any benefit.

Who can help for free in the Bay Area?

You do not have to do this alone. These are public offices and nonprofit clinics. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

Public agencies

• EDD, State Disability Insurance: 1-800-480-3287, Spanish 1-866-658-8846. Disability Insurance
• EDD, Paid Family Leave: 1-877-238-4373. Paid Family Leave
• EDD, benefits for workers without a Social Security number: edd.ca.gov/undocumentedworkers
• EDD, Unemployment Insurance: Eligibility
• Division of Workers' Compensation, Information and Assistance: 1-800-736-7401. Offices in San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland. Information and Assistance
• California Civil Rights Department: CFRA, pregnancy and other leave. 800-884-1684. Family, medical and pregnancy leave
• California Labor Commissioner: sick days, final pay, lactation breaks and retaliation. 833-526-4636, with interpreters. How to file a wage claim

Nonprofit help

• Legal Aid at Work, Workers' Rights Clinic: free help for people within its income limits, or age 60 and over, in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and many other languages. To make an appointment from East Palo Alto, call (415) 404-9093. Workers' Rights Clinic
• Legal Aid at Work, Project SURVIVE Helpline: 888-864-8335, for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking who need time off or changes at work. Project SURVIVE
• Immigration legal help to ask about risks before you apply: see Free legal help in the Bay Area and Find a trusted lawyer.
• Not sure where to start? Dial 211 for free help finding local services, including food and rent help while you are out of work.

What to ask a clinic

• Which of these fit me: sick days, CFRA, pregnancy leave, Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, workers' compensation, unemployment?
• Is my job protected while I am off?
• What is my deadline for each one?
• I do not have a Social Security number. How do I file on paper?
• I have an immigration case. Could any of this matter for it?
• My employer punished me. Where do I file, and by when?

Questions people ask

Can I get paid while I am on maternity leave in California? Often, yes, but not from the leave itself. State Disability Insurance can pay about 4 weeks before birth and 6 to 8 weeks after. Then Paid Family Leave can pay up to 8 weeks of bonding. Both pay about 70 to 90 percent of your wages, up to $1,765 a week. See How do the pieces fit together?

Does Paid Family Leave protect my job? No. EDD says it pays benefits but does not protect your job. The California Family Rights Act protects the job if your employer has 5 or more employees and you have worked there more than 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the last year.

I do not have a Social Security number. Can I still get Disability Insurance or Paid Family Leave? Yes, if SDI was taken out of your pay. You cannot file online, so ask EDD for a paper application. EDD says these benefits will not affect your path to citizenship. See Can I get these benefits without papers?

Can I get unemployment without papers? No. Unemployment needs a Social Security number or work permission when you apply and each time you certify. You are still owed your final paycheck and any unpaid wages.

I got hurt at work, but I am undocumented. Can I get workers' compensation? Yes. The law covers employees whether lawfully or unlawfully employed. Report the injury in writing right away and ask for the DWC 1 claim form.

My boss says I am not covered because I am paid in cash. Is that true? For workers' compensation, sick days and final pay, being paid in cash does not take away your rights. For Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave, what matters is whether SDI was taken out of your wages. Ask a clinic.

How long do I have to file for Disability Insurance? 49 days from the day your disability began. The first 7 days are not paid.

Can I take time off when my mother is sick? Yes, you can use paid sick days for a parent. For longer care, Paid Family Leave can pay up to 8 weeks, and CFRA can protect your job for up to 12 weeks if you qualify.

Do I get time off after a miscarriage? Yes, at employers with 5 or more employees, if you have worked there at least 30 days. You can take up to 5 days of reproductive loss leave within 3 months. It may be unpaid, but you can use sick days or vacation.

How much time off do I get when a family member dies? Up to 5 days of bereavement leave, used within 3 months of the death. Ask your employer whether it is paid, and ask a clinic if you are not sure your employer is covered.

I was fired after asking for leave. What can I do? Write down the dates of your request and the firing. For CFRA or pregnancy leave, file with the Civil Rights Department, usually within 3 years. For sick days, file a retaliation complaint with the Labor Commissioner within 1 year. Talk to a free clinic first if you can.

When do I get my last check if I am laid off? On your last day, with all your unused vacation. If it is late on purpose, you may be owed up to 30 days of extra pay. See When you must get your last paycheck.

Can I collect Disability Insurance and unemployment at the same time? Usually not. Disability Insurance is for when you cannot do your regular work. Unemployment requires that you are able and available to work. Ask EDD which one fits your situation.

I have DACA. Do these rules apply to me? Yes. Your rights at work are the same as any other worker in California. See What workplace rights do DACA recipients have?

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How to ask for leave

Needing time off is not a failure. It is part of life, and the law makes room for it. Whatever you are facing, there is a next step, and you do not have to take it alone. Start with one: write down the first day you missed work. We are with you, and we are praying for you and your family.