This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - currently working two part-time jobs (30 hrs/week at a daycare and 25 hrs/week doing admin work) and expecting my first baby in May 2025. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence that EDD will actually use both incomes for the calculation, which is a huge relief since I was worried about only getting benefits based on one job. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about starting early with both HR departments - the daycare is pretty good with paperwork but the admin job is just a small office that probably hasn't dealt with PFL before. Creating a timeline document and hand-delivering the forms sounds like the way to go. One quick question for those who've been through this - did you find it helpful to give your employers a specific deadline for submitting their DE2515 forms, or did you just ask them to do it "as soon as possible"? I'm thinking of giving them a date that's maybe a week earlier than when I actually need it submitted, just to build in some buffer time in case they're slow to respond. Thanks again to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world info that makes all the difference when planning for something this important!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you all so much for sharing your detailed experiences! I feel so much more confident about this whole process now. Based on everything you've shared, here's my action plan: 1) Start talking to both HR departments this week about the DE2515 forms and give them specific deadlines with built-in buffer time, 2) Request my wage statement from EDD in the next month or two to check for any discrepancies, 3) Create a timeline document to keep both employers accountable, and 4) Start organizing all my pay stubs from both jobs for the past 18 months. It's such a relief to know that EDD will actually use both my incomes - based on the examples you've all shared, I'm cautiously optimistic I might get somewhere in the $1,000-1,200/week range which would be life-changing for our budget planning. The tip about hand-delivering forms with cover letters is brilliant, and I love the idea of giving the smaller employer step-by-step instructions since my retail job seems pretty clueless about PFL. You've all saved me so much stress and probably prevented delays that could have really impacted our finances. Seriously can't thank you enough - this community is amazing! 🙏

I'm currently navigating a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! My employer also provides supplemental pay to bring state benefits up to 100% of salary, and I was worried about potential complications. What I've learned from my HR department is that the key is proper coding on paystubs - these payments need to show up as "supplemental disability benefits" or similar, NOT as regular wages. When you certify for PFL, you'll report them as "other benefits received" but they won't reduce your state payments since you're not actually working. @StarStrider - you're handling this perfectly! Getting HR to fix that accidental paycheck coding and document the error is exactly the right move. I had a similar payroll mix-up early on and once they corrected it with proper documentation, there were no issues. Your timing for filing PFL sounds spot-on too. Most people here seem to recommend applying about a week before SDI ends, which aligns with your weekend/Monday plan. One tip that's helped me stay organized: I started tracking everything in a simple spreadsheet - dates, EDD amounts, employer supplement amounts, how they're coded on paystubs, and any relevant communications. It's been a lifesaver for keeping everything straight and will make certification much easier. Don't stress too much - the system is designed to handle employer supplemental benefits during leave. You're being proactive about documentation which puts you in a great position. You've got this! 💪

I'm in a very similar situation right now! My employer also has a policy to supplement state benefits up to 100% salary, and I was initially panicked about how this would affect my claims. Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring! What I've learned from my own research and talking to HR is that these supplemental payments are completely fine as long as they're coded properly. The crucial thing is making sure they show up on your paystubs as something like "supplemental disability pay" or "leave supplement" - NOT as regular wages for work performed. @StarStrider - it sounds like you're handling everything exactly right! Getting that payroll error fixed and documented by HR is the perfect approach. I had a similar coding issue early on and once they corrected it with proper documentation, EDD never questioned anything. For your PFL transition timing, filing this weekend/Monday sounds ideal if your SDI ends in 10 days. Most people here seem to have success with that 5-7 day window before disability ends. One thing that's really helped me stay sane through this process is creating a simple tracking spreadsheet with: date, EDD payment amount, employer supplement amount, paystub coding, and any notes about communications. Makes certification so much easier and gives peace of mind that everything is documented. The consensus here seems to be that you report the employer supplements as "other benefits" during PFL certification, but since they're not wages, they won't reduce your state benefits. You're being super proactive about this which puts you in a great position! 💪

I was in a similar situation earlier this year and totally get how nerve-wracking it feels! Here's what helped me: I called EDD at 8:05 AM on a Thursday and was honest from the start about making an error on my income reporting. The agent was actually really patient and said these mistakes are more common than people think. They walked me through updating the information over the phone and made a note that it was a voluntary correction. The whole process took about 12 days to fully update in the system, but there were no penalties since I reported it myself rather than waiting for them to catch it. My advice: have your claim number, employment details (employer name, dates, income amounts), and Social Security number ready before calling. Stay calm and just explain that you realized you made an honest mistake and want to correct it ASAP. The agents deal with this stuff daily and they're way more understanding than you'd expect. You're doing exactly the right thing by being proactive about fixing it! 👍

I've been through this exact situation! The stress is totally understandable, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by calling to fix it. Here's what worked for me: Call right at 8 AM (I literally had my phone ready at 7:59), be completely honest that you made an error and want to correct it, and have all your employment info ready (employer name, dates, income amounts, your claim number). The agent I spoke with was actually really understanding and said these reporting mistakes happen constantly. They updated everything during the call and put a note that it was a voluntary correction, so no penalties. It took about a week to see the changes in my account. The anticipation is honestly worse than the actual call - EDD agents much prefer helping people who proactively fix mistakes rather than those who try to hide them. Take a deep breath, you've got this! 💪

Just wanted to jump in as someone who recently navigated this same situation! I had my baby in February and went through the exact same SDI-to-PFL transition nightmare that @Yara Assad described. My claim got stuck for almost 3 weeks with zero communication from EDD. What finally worked for me was calling first thing in the morning (like 8:01 AM sharp) and using the magic phrase "inter-program transition" that @Nora Brooks mentioned - it got me transferred to someone who actually knew what they were doing! One thing I learned that might help others: if you're transitioning from SDI to PFL, make sure the end date on your pregnancy disability claim matches EXACTLY with the start date you put on your PFL claim. Even a one-day gap or overlap can trigger a manual review that adds weeks to processing time. Also, when you do get through to someone, ask them to put notes in your file about the resolution - I had to call back once more about a payment timing question and the notes saved me from having to re-explain everything. The whole system is frustrating but this thread gives me hope that sharing our experiences helps other new parents know they're not alone in dealing with EDD's broken processes!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently 8 months pregnant and planning to take both SDI for pregnancy disability and then PFL for bonding time. Reading everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and terrifying - I had no idea about the SDI-to-PFL transition issues that seem to plague so many claims. @Yara Assad thank you for sharing your journey and resolution, and @Nora Brooks and @Christian Bierman for the expert tips about "inter-program transitions" and exact date matching. I'm definitely saving the Claimyr service info and all the advice about calling at 8:01 AM sharp. It's honestly infuriating that we need to become EDD experts and potentially pay third-party services just to access benefits we've been paying into our entire working lives. But this community knowledge sharing gives me so much confidence going into this process. I'm going to be extra careful about those date transitions and won't hesitate to call if my claim gets stuck. For other expecting parents who might find this thread later - screenshot these tips! The real-world advice here is worth its weight in gold compared to EDD's vague official guidance.

As a new parent who went through this same confusion, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to trust the official EDD sources over your employer's interpretation! I was in almost the exact same boat - only 9 months at my company when I had my baby, and my HR person kept insisting I wouldn't get paid leave. Thankfully I found communities like this one that helped me understand the difference between PFL wage replacement and FMLA job protection. The key thing to remember is that California PFL is funded by YOUR payroll deductions into SDI - it has nothing to do with your employer or how long you've worked there. As long as you've been paying into the system during your base period, you're entitled to those benefits. I ended up filing online through the EDD portal and got approved within about 10 days. The whole process was much smoother than I expected, especially after all the confusion from my employer. One tip: when you file your PFL claim, make sure you have your baby's birth certificate ready to upload. Also, if you haven't already, you might want to send your employer a brief email clarifying that you'll be taking state PFL benefits (not company leave) so there's no confusion about the source of your wage replacement. Enjoy this precious bonding time with your little one - you've absolutely earned it through your SDI contributions!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation and was starting to panic. I've been at my job for only 6 months and just found out I'm pregnant. When I mentioned potentially taking maternity leave to my supervisor, she immediately said I wouldn't qualify for "any of that FMLA stuff" and implied I wouldn't get paid leave at all. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief! It sounds like I should definitely be eligible for PFL benefits since I've been paying into SDI for over 3 years at various jobs in California. The distinction between wage replacement (PFL) and job protection (FMLA) makes so much sense now - I can't believe how many employers seem to confuse these! I'm definitely going to start gathering those official EDD resources that people mentioned to have ready when I need to educate my HR department. It's frustrating that we have to become experts on these programs just to access benefits we've already paid for, but this community has made me feel so much more confident about advocating for myself. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - it's incredibly helpful to know I'm not alone in dealing with employer confusion about California's leave benefits!