unpopular opinion: the system is designed to be confusing on purpose. they hope people will give up and not claim benefits. stay strong and don't let them win!

I made a similar mistake on my disability claim a few months ago - accidentally put my injury date as both start and end dates. What helped me was calling early in the morning (like right at 8am when they open) and having ALL my paperwork ready before I called. Make sure you have your Social Security number, claim number, employer info, and the CORRECT dates written down clearly. When you talk to them, be super specific about what the mistake was and what it should be. They'll probably ask for documentation like pay stubs showing your last day worked or a doctor's note with the actual leave dates. The rep I talked to was actually pretty understanding once I explained it clearly. Hang in there - it's fixable, just takes some patience with the system!

To summarize what everyone has correctly noted: 1. PFL and UI benefits are completely separate systems with separate funding and eligibility requirements. 2. PFL falls under State Disability Insurance (SDI) which you pay into via payroll deductions. 3. UI is a separate program with its own funding mechanism and eligibility criteria. 4. Receiving PFL will not reduce your maximum UI benefit amount or weekly benefit amount if you later qualify for unemployment. 5. The only "connection" is that both look at your base period earnings, but in different ways. For UI, they examine your highest quarter of earnings in the base period to determine your weekly benefit amount. As others have mentioned, the timing of potential termination shortly after PFL leave raises serious legal questions about retaliation that you may want to explore with an employment attorney.

I'm really sorry you're going through this stress on top of everything with your husband's health situation. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - PFL and UI are completely separate benefit systems, so your caregiving benefits won't affect any future unemployment claim at all. What you're describing with the delayed equipment, rescheduled meetings, and system access issues sounds very concerning, especially so soon after returning from protected leave. I'd also be worried about them hiring someone new for your department while you were out - that's a pretty big red flag. Since you mentioned you've been there 5 years and they have 80 employees, you should definitely be covered under both CFRA and FMLA protections. Keep documenting everything with dates and times. If they do terminate you, file for unemployment immediately and don't let them pressure you into saying you quit or resigned. Make sure they clearly state they're terminating you. Also, have you considered reaching out to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) if things continue to deteriorate? They handle retaliation complaints related to family leave. Hope things work out for you and your husband continues to recover well!

This is great advice about documenting everything. I'd also recommend keeping detailed notes about any conversations with dates and who said what. Email summaries of in-person conversations are gold if there's ever an issue later. Sorry your company treated you that way, but glad you got your full leave!

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I'm an employment attorney and see this confusion constantly. Your HR department is absolutely wrong about linking PFL to FMLA eligibility. These are completely separate programs with different funding sources and requirements. PFL is an insurance benefit you've earned through your SDI contributions - it's YOUR money that you've been paying into the system. No employer can deny you access to benefits you've already paid for just because you haven't worked there long enough for FMLA protection. Here's what I always tell clients in your situation: 1. Apply directly to EDD - don't go through your employer 2. Keep records of all communications with HR about this issue 3. If they retaliate or terminate you for taking legally protected leave (remember PDL protects the medical portion regardless of tenure), that could be grounds for a discrimination claim The fact that your HR is giving you incorrect information about state benefits is concerning. I'd recommend getting their statements in writing so you have documentation of their position. Good luck with your leave planning!

Just wanted to say hang in there, OP! I know how stressful this can be, especially with a newborn. You've got this! 💪

Hey Sofia! I went through this exact same situation a few months ago. One thing that really helped speed up my claim was making sure I had submitted proof of my employment history - sometimes they need your pay stubs or a letter from HR confirming your employment dates and wages. Also, check if you need to verify your identity through ID.me if you haven't already - that was a big holdup for me. The waiting is so nerve-wracking when you have bills to pay, but don't give up! Keep checking your online account every few days for updates and don't hesitate to call if it's been over 3 weeks since you submitted everything.

One more thing to be aware of: while the online status features are helpful, there are still some limitations. The system updates overnight in batches, not in real-time. So if something changes with your claim during the day, you won't see it reflected online until the next day. Also, for those transitioning from pregnancy disability (SDI) to baby bonding (PFL), you still need to submit a separate PFL application. The system won't automatically roll you from one program to the other, even though they're both administered by EDD. Make sure you submit your baby bonding claim (DE2508) before your SDI benefits end to avoid any gap in payments.

This is so helpful to read everyone's experiences! I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and planning to take both pregnancy disability and baby bonding leave. Reading this thread makes me feel way more prepared than I was with my first baby in 2022 when I had NO idea what I was doing with EDD. Quick question for those who've used the new online system - does it show your remaining benefit balance clearly? Like if I'm entitled to 8 weeks of baby bonding but only use 6 weeks initially, will I be able to see that I still have 2 weeks left for later use? With my first, I never used my full entitlement and had no clue how much I had left until it was too late. Also @Omar Farouk thanks for that tip about the overnight batch updates - that explains why I've seen some delays when checking claim status on other state benefit sites!