I'm new to this community but this discussion has been incredibly helpful! My partner is in a very similar situation - he has about 3 weeks of PFL remaining that expires in early 2026, and we've been debating whether to use it all at once or try to stretch it out. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that the Mon-Fri intermittent approach can work, but it definitely requires more planning and attention to detail than consecutive leave. The key seems to be getting all the ducks in a row beforehand - employer approval, clear documentation of work schedule, and understanding the certification timeline. @Liam O'Sullivan, your detailed explanations have been really helpful! One follow-up question - you mentioned that EDD "generally prefers" baby bonding PFL to be taken in two-week increments. Is there any downside or additional scrutiny for intermittent claims, or is it just a preference on their end? @ThunderBolt7, I'm really hoping you'll update us once your husband goes through this process. It would be so valuable to hear how it actually plays out in practice, especially with the certification submissions. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences. This is exactly the kind of practical guidance that's impossible to find in the official EDD materials!

I'm new to this community but this thread has been incredibly informative! My husband and I are expecting our first baby in a few months, and I'm already trying to understand how PFL works for future planning. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's fascinating to see that the Mon-Fri intermittent approach is possible but requires so much more coordination than I initially thought. The employer approval aspect that @Giovanni Marino brought up is something I hadn't even considered - I just assumed it was entirely between my husband and EDD. @Liam O'Sullivan, your technical explanations have been really helpful in understanding the actual rules versus what people experience in practice. It sounds like the system technically supports intermittent leave, but the user experience isn't great. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who successfully did intermittent scheduling, how far in advance did you start the planning process? It sounds like there are a lot of moving pieces (employer coordination, EDD communication, understanding certification timelines) that would benefit from early preparation. @ThunderBolt7, I'm also really hoping to hear how this works out for your husband! Having a real success story with specific details would be so valuable for others in similar situations. Thank you to everyone sharing their experiences - this kind of practical, real-world information is exactly what new parents need but is so hard to find anywhere else!

Quick question - does anyone know if changing your name affects your claim in any way? Like, does it reset anything or cause delays? I'm in the middle of receiving benefits and don't wanna mess that up.

Just wanted to share my recent experience - I actually managed to get through to EDD on my third try by calling right when they opened at 8am. The agent was super helpful and walked me through everything. She said the name change usually takes 5-7 business days to process once they receive your documents. Also, pro tip: they prefer if you send a certified copy of your marriage certificate rather than just a regular photocopy. It might take a bit longer to get one, but it speeds up their processing time. Hope this helps someone! 🤞

This thread has been an absolute game-changer for me! I'm dealing with the exact same EDD nightmare trying to reach someone about my PFL claim. I've been stuck in the "maximum callers" loop for almost two weeks and was honestly starting to think it was impossible until I found this community. The level of strategic coordination we've all had to develop just to access basic government services is both inspiring and completely insane. Reading through everyone's battle-tested methods - @Emily Sanjay's scientific approach with the 67-call tally system and that brilliant 1-3-4 button sequence hack, @Millie Long's 30-second wait discovery instead of immediate hang-up, @StardustSeeker's weather timing strategy, and the consistent success with the multi-phone 8:00 AM sharp approach - it's like having a complete intelligence briefing for cracking this broken system. I'm definitely combining all these crowd-sourced tactics for my assault tomorrow morning. It's ridiculous that we need to become phone system ninjas with military precision just to discuss our own benefits, but the solidarity and shared knowledge in this thread is incredible proof that we can overcome even the most bureaucratic obstacles when we help each other. Going to report back with results - hopefully I can add to the success stories instead of the battle plans! Thanks to everyone for not giving up and creating this amazing support network. This community is what's keeping me sane through this nightmare! 💪🙏

I'm jumping into this amazing support thread as someone dealing with the exact same EDD nightmare! I've been trying to reach someone about my PFL claim for over a week now and was starting to lose hope until I discovered this incredible community of phone warriors. The amount of tactical knowledge shared here is absolutely mind-blowing - from @Emily Sanjay's scientific 67-call approach with the brilliant 1-3-4 button sequence hack, to @Millie Long's game-changing 30-second wait technique, to @StardustSeeker's weather timing strategy. It's like having access to a complete intelligence operation for cracking this broken system! I'm planning to deploy the full arsenal tomorrow morning: multi-phone strategy at exactly 8:00 AM sharp, combined with all the crowd-sourced hacks everyone has shared. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to coordinate like we're planning a military operation just to access our own benefits, but the solidarity and shared knowledge in this thread is incredible. The fact that we've essentially created our own underground resistance network to navigate basic government services is both inspiring and deeply infuriating. We shouldn't need PhD-level phone system hacking skills just to talk about our PFL claims, but here we are helping each other survive bureaucratic hell! Thanks to everyone for not suffering in silence and actually sharing what works. This community is proof that persistence and solidarity can overcome even the most ridiculous obstacles. Going to report back with results - hopefully adding to the success stories! 💪🙏

Wow, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm dealing with my first PFL claim right now (just submitted 2 weeks ago) and had no idea about all these potential hidden issues. Reading about Dmitry's hyphen problem and everyone else's employer verification delays is both helpful and terrifying - the fact that such tiny details can hold up benefits for months without any notification is absolutely insane. I'm definitely going to be proactive and contact my HR department tomorrow to make sure they submitted everything correctly on their end. Also going to go through my application with a fine-tooth comb to check for any formatting mismatches. It's ridiculous that we have to become detectives just to access benefits we've already paid into, but thank you all for sharing these real-world tips. Bookmarking that Claimyr service as backup - hopefully won't need it but good to know it exists. This kind of practical advice is exactly what new parents need but can't get from the official EDD website!

Just wanted to add another strategy that worked for me after weeks of trying! I discovered that calling the EDD disability line first (1-800-480-3287) and explaining that my PFL claim might be connected to a previous disability claim sometimes gets you transferred to someone who can actually help. I think they have better staffing on that line. Also, if you're still struggling to get through, try calling right at 12:00pm when they come back from lunch - I've had better luck during that window than the early morning rush. And definitely document EVERYTHING - dates you called, times, what you were told, representative names/IDs. I started keeping a little notebook and it was super helpful when I finally got someone who could actually resolve my issue. Don't give up - your benefits are worth fighting for and this system is designed to wear you down, but persistence does pay off eventually!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Just received that same confusing email from EDD yesterday while I'm on bonding leave and was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how to respond. This thread has been absolutely incredible - reading everyone's experiences has completely changed my stress level from panic to confidence. It's amazing how consistent all the advice is: be super specific about what "integrated" means, emphasize that company pay is "working WITH PFL benefits" not replacing them, and include all the detailed information (dates, hourly rate, schedule, etc.). I'm definitely going to follow the proven template that so many people have shared: clearly explain that EDD pays 60-70% of my wages and my company covers the difference to reach my full salary, plus make it crystal clear these are parental leave benefits not vacation/sick days. The success stories here are so encouraging - seems like everyone who explained it properly got approved within 3-7 days without any benefit reductions. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a helpful resource for navigating EDD's confusing requests! This community is truly a lifesaver.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Just got that confusing EDD email this morning while I'm on my bonding leave and was totally panicking about how to respond correctly. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - reading everyone's detailed experiences has completely calmed my nerves. It's incredible how consistent all the advice is about emphasizing that company pay is "working WITH PFL benefits" rather than replacing them, and including all those specific details like exact dates, hourly rate, and normal schedule. I'm definitely going to follow the proven template that so many people have shared: "My employer provides integrated parental leave pay that supplements my PFL benefits. EDD pays approximately 60-70% of my regular wages, and my company pays the remaining difference to reach my full salary during leave." The success stories here are so encouraging - it sounds like when you explain it properly with all the specifics, EDD processes it within 3-7 days without any benefit reductions. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and creating such an amazing resource for navigating EDD's confusing system! This community makes dealing with these stressful situations so much more manageable.