Can I get EDD SDI benefits for 3 weeks off work when I only have 24 hours of sick leave?

Yes, you can absolutely apply for SDI for a 3-week period! There's no requirement that you exhaust your sick leave first, though many people do use it simultaneously or before SDI kicks in. Here's what you need to know: 1. SDI has a 7-day waiting period before benefits begin (this is unpaid) 2. Your doctor will need to complete the medical certification portion 3. You can receive approximately 60-70% of your wages while on disability I'd recommend applying as soon as your doctor confirms the surgery date. You can file online through SDI Online, and your doctor will need to submit their portion electronically too. Don't wait until after surgery to start the process.

went thru this exact thing last year!! use ur sick days during the waiting period, thats what i did. then SDI kicks in after. my HR dept helped me with the paperwork it wasnt that bad

Good luck getting approved in time for your surgery!! EDD is a NIGHTMARE to deal with. I was denied twice for my legitimate disability claim and had to appeal. The system is BROKEN and they barely answer phones. You have to call literally 50+ times to get through and even then they'll probably hang up on you. Just warning you to start the process NOW if you need the money by next month.

I went through this exact situation in 2023. To answer your specific questions: 1. You don't have to use sick leave first, but it makes financial sense to use your sick leave during the 7-day waiting period since SDI won't pay for those days anyway. 2. Three weeks definitely qualifies - the minimum is 8 consecutive days of disability. 3. Apply online through SDI Online as soon as possible: https://edd.ca.gov/disability/ 4. Your doctor will need to certify your disability by completing their portion of the DE 2501 form. 5. Make sure your name matches exactly between your ID, work records, and medical records or you could face delays. If you run into trouble reaching EDD by phone (which happens a lot), I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes when I was having claim issues. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd Hope your surgery goes well!

My situation was kinda similar but I was out for 8 weeks instead of 3. I used my PTO first then went on SDI. Just make sure your doctor fills out all the paperwork correctly or it'll get denied. Also the first payment took almost 3 weeks to come through so have some savings ready if possible.

wait am i the only one confused why you wouldn't just use sick time? isnt that what its for?

I just went through this whole process in February! One thing no one mentioned yet - make sure your employer knows you're applying for SDI. Some companies require you to use all your sick time first (even though the state doesn't require it). My company also had me fill out FMLA paperwork at the same time to protect my job while I was out. Also, the EDD website says they process claims in 5-7 days but mine took 12 days to get approved, then another week before I got paid. Just FYI so you can plan accordingly!

To answer your follow-up question - you can qualify for multiple SDI claims in a year as long as they're for different medical conditions. Each claim has its own 7-day waiting period though. The maximum benefit period is 52 weeks, but that's the total across a 12-month period. Regarding your approval timeline question: For straightforward surgical procedures with clear recovery timelines, approval typically takes 7-14 days if all documentation is submitted correctly. The first payment usually arrives 2-3 days after approval if you choose the EDD debit card option.

Btw does anyone know if the vacation/sick pay affects how much SDI you get? Like if I use some PTO during disability does that reduce my SDI payment for that week?

did you ask if ur doctor takes SDI online? some still use paper forms and that takes FOREVER. my friend had to wait like 6 weeks to get paid bc her doctor did paper forms

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me - if you're worried about the financial gap, some employers will let you use vacation time to "top off" your SDI payments. Since SDI only pays about 60-70% of your wages, you could potentially use a few hours of vacation each week to make up the difference. My company allowed this and it really helped during my recovery period. Definitely worth asking HR about! Also, keep all your medical receipts related to the surgery - some of those expenses might be deductible on your taxes.

Hey Gabriel! I went through something really similar last year for a knee surgery that had me out for about a month. One thing I wish I had known earlier - make sure to get your doctor's office to submit their portion of the paperwork electronically if possible. My surgeon's office was still doing paper forms and it added almost 2 weeks to my approval time. Also, don't stress too much about the timing. Even though some people have horror stories about EDD, most routine surgical disability claims get processed pretty smoothly if all the paperwork is complete. The key is having your doctor be very specific about your limitations and expected return-to-work date. One last tip - when you do your online application, double-check that your address matches exactly what's on file with your employer. I had a tiny discrepancy (Ave vs Avenue) that caused a delay in my first payment. Good luck with your surgery!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through the SDI process a couple times now. One thing that really helped me was setting up the EDD debit card option when I applied - it gets your payments about 2-3 days faster than waiting for checks in the mail. Also, keep copies of everything you submit! I had to resubmit my doctor's forms once because they claimed they never received them (even though my doctor's office had confirmation). For your specific situation with only 24 hours of sick leave, I'd definitely recommend using those during the 7-day waiting period like others suggested. That way you're not losing any income during that unpaid week. And don't let the negative stories scare you too much - while EDD definitely has issues, most straightforward surgical claims do get approved without major problems as long as your doctor fills out the medical portion completely. One more tip: if you need to call EDD for any reason, try calling right when they open at 8am. The wait times are usually shortest then. Good luck with your surgery and recovery!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in HR and has helped employees through the SDI process many times. A few additional things to keep in mind: 1. Make sure your employer has accurate wage information on file with EDD - your SDI benefit amount is calculated based on what they've reported, so any discrepancies could delay your claim. 2. If you're union, check if you have any supplemental disability benefits that could help bridge the gap between your SDI payments and full wages. 3. Some employers have a "disability coordination" policy where they'll pay you the difference between SDI and your full salary for a certain period. It's worth asking about even if it's not in your employee handbook. 4. Keep in mind that SDI benefits are subject to state income tax, so factor that into your budgeting. Also, don't worry too much about the horror stories - in my experience, about 85% of legitimate surgical disability claims get approved on the first try when all the paperwork is complete. The key is making sure your doctor is thorough with the medical certification. Best of luck with your procedure!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to make sure you understand exactly what your doctor needs to include on the DE 2501 form. When I had my gallbladder surgery last year, my doctor initially just wrote "post-surgical recovery" which wasn't specific enough for EDD. They sent it back asking for more details about functional limitations and expected recovery timeline. I had to go back to my doctor and ask them to be very specific - things like "unable to lift more than 5 pounds," "cannot sit for extended periods," "requires frequent rest breaks," etc. The second time around it got approved quickly. Also, if your surgery is scheduled for early in the month, you might want to consider timing your SDI application so that your waiting period falls mostly in one month rather than split across two months. It can make tracking your benefits easier, especially if you're using sick time during the waiting period. Hope your procedure goes smoothly and you have a quick recovery!