Is 3-week medical leave through Sedgwick eligible for EDD SDI benefits?

Yes, she should definitely apply for EDD SDI separately! Sedgwick just manages the leave approval process for her employer - they don't file the disability claim with the state. And yes, a 3-week medical leave absolutely qualifies for SDI benefits as long as her doctor certifies she's unable to do her regular work. Remember there's a 7-day waiting period before benefits start, so she'd potentially get benefits for 2 weeks. She needs to file on SDI Online directly with EDD as soon as possible - there's a 49-day filing deadline from her first day of disability.

Thank you SO MUCH! I just texted her and she had no idea. Her HR just told her to 'contact Sedgwick' but never mentioned filing with EDD separately. So she would have missed out completely! Does she need to create an account on that SDI Online site first? And does her doctor need to do something too?

Had the same situation with my husband last year!! Sedgwick is the worst. They only handle the employer's side of things (making sure the leave is approved, job protection, etc). They won't file for state disability for her - that's totally separate. She's leaving $$$ on the table if she doesn't file with EDD!

That's exactly what I was worried about! Did your husband have any trouble getting approved for just a short period? She's only out for 3 weeks total.

Nope, he was only out for 2 weeks after his procedure and got approved no problem. Just remember there's that 7-day waiting period before benefits kick in. But definitely worth applying!

She needs to file her disability claim ASAP! Here's how it works:\n\n1. Sedgwick = employer's third-party leave administrator. They just track/approve her time off and make sure her job is protected.\n\n2. EDD SDI = California state disability benefits that replace part of her wages while she's unable to work. This is SEPARATE and she must apply herself.\n\n3. For a 3-week leave, she'll only get about 2 weeks of actual benefits because of the 7-day unpaid waiting period.\n\nShe'll need a medical certification from her doctor. Most doctors will complete the online form once she starts her SDI application. She should create an account on SDI Online and start the process immediately - https://edd.ca.gov/Disability/SDI_Online.htm

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I'll help her set up that account tonight. She's already been out for almost a week so hopefully we're not too late. If her doctor already filled out paperwork for Sedgwick, will they have to do separate paperwork for EDD too?

Yes, unfortunately the doctor will need to complete the EDD medical certification separately from whatever they did for Sedgwick. When she creates her SDI Online account and starts her claim, she'll enter her doctor's information, and the doctor will receive electronic forms to complete. Some doctors charge a fee for completing disability paperwork, so she might want to check with them first.

Thanks again! She's going to call her doctor tomorrow.

this is exaclty why the whole system is BROKEN!!! nobody tells you what to do or that these are TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS until its too late. when i had surgery last year my HR just said \

That's terrible! I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm definitely going to make sure she applies right away. Do you know if there's a way to backdate the claim since she's already been out for almost a week?

yes she can backdate to when her disability actually started! thats not a problem, just make sure she does it within like 30 days or something. dont wait!!

It's actually a 49-day filing deadline from the first day of disability, but yes - always better to file as soon as possible! And yes, she can (and should) use her actual disability start date even if she's filing a week later.

Oh that's a relief about the 49 days! But we're definitely going to get on this tonight.

my job uses sedwick too and they handle everything really different from state disability. i was confused about it when i had my baby. for the leave of absence part my work had me go through sedwick but for the actual money benefits i had to apply with california edd for state disability insurance (sdi). they are completely different!

Thanks for sharing your experience! Did you have any trouble applying with both systems at the same time? I'm worried she'll get confused trying to manage both.

it was definitely confusing but not too bad. what helped me was remembering sedwick was just for my job to know i was out on approved leave, and EDD was for the actual money part. so i had to update both but for different reasons.

That's a good way to think about it - Sedgwick for job protection, EDD for wage replacement. I'll explain it to her that way!

I had so much trouble contacting EDD when I was trying to file my disability claim last year. I kept calling their number for days and could never get through to an actual person. If your sister runs into the same problem while trying to file her claim, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get connected with an EDD agent quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd that shows how it works. It was worth it for me because I had questions about my medical provider certification that I couldn't get answered any other way.

This is really good to know! She tends to get frustrated with automated systems and long hold times, so this might be helpful if she runs into problems with her application. I'll check out that video, thanks!

One important thing to understand is that Sedgwick pays company short-term disability in some cases, while in other cases they just handle leave administration and you need to apply for state disability (SDI). It depends entirely on what disability benefits her employer offers.\n\nShe should ask Sedgwick directly: \

That's a really good point! I'm not sure if her employer offers their own short-term disability plan or not. I'll have her specifically ask Sedgwick that question tomorrow. She has a call scheduled with them anyway to check on her claim status.

Perfect. If they do offer company short-term disability that Sedgwick administers, then that might be easier. But many company plans pay less than state disability or have different waiting periods, so it's still worth understanding both options. Please let us know what you find out!

I definitely will! Thank you so much for all the guidance.

has she been paying into the CA SDI program? i forgot to mention this earlier but if she sees SDI deductions on her paystub (usually listed as CASDI) then she's eligible. some people are exempt if they work for certain state agencies or have elected out of the program. just something to check!

Oh that's a good question! She works for a large retail company as a department manager, so I'm pretty sure she would be paying into SDI, but I'll definitely have her check her paystub to confirm.

Just wanted to add that if she's working for a large retail company, she's almost certainly paying into SDI - those deductions are mandatory for most employees in California. One thing that might help her is to gather all her paperwork before she starts the EDD application. She'll need her employer's information, her doctor's contact details, and the exact dates of her disability. Also, when she calls Sedgwick tomorrow, she should ask them for a copy of any medical documentation they have on file - sometimes that can speed up the EDD process even though the doctor will still need to complete separate forms for the state. Good luck to both of you!