This thread has been incredibly educational! I'm 18 weeks pregnant with my first baby and had been really anxious about the financial impact of maternity leave. Like so many others here, I just assumed I'd have to make do with the 60-70% from EDD and that was that. Reading through all these detailed experiences has given me so much confidence to approach my employer about supplemental pay. I work for a medium-sized marketing agency (about 90 employees) that prides itself on having great company culture, but I don't think maternity leave supplementation has ever been discussed. The business case arguments about employee retention and competitive recruitment are so compelling - our industry has really high turnover and we're constantly competing with larger agencies for talent. I think this could be exactly the kind of benefit that would set us apart. I'm planning to use the timeline approach and concrete dollar amounts that several of you have mentioned, plus I'm going to contact our payroll provider (we use Paycom) beforehand to understand their process. The tip about getting everything in writing and asking about coverage for the 7-day waiting period is also going on my checklist. One question for the group - has anyone had success presenting this as a pilot program that could eventually become company policy for all employees? I think that framing might appeal to my company's focus on innovation and employee experience. Thank you all for sharing such practical, actionable advice. This community has turned what felt like an impossible financial situation into something that actually seems achievable! 🌟

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm 19 weeks pregnant and was honestly losing sleep over the financial stress of maternity leave. Like many of you, I had just accepted that living on 60% of my income for months was inevitable. I work for a healthcare organization (about 200 employees) and while they're supportive of employees, I never thought to ask about supplemental pay. The irony isn't lost on me that I work in healthcare but didn't know about this option for my own maternity care! After reading all your experiences, I'm realizing I need to advocate for myself here. The timeline document idea is brilliant, and I love the suggestion about contacting our payroll provider (Ceridian) beforehand to understand their process. Having that technical information ready should help address any implementation concerns. What really resonates with me is how many of you framed this as enhancing competitive benefits rather than asking for special treatment. In healthcare, we're constantly competing with hospitals and health systems for qualified staff, and offering 100% salary during maternity leave could be a huge recruitment and retention advantage. I'm going to prepare a business case using the approaches you've all shared - concrete numbers, timeline, technical feasibility, and the competitive advantage angle. The idea of proposing it as a pilot program that could benefit future employees also feels like the right approach for our organization's culture. Thank you all for turning what felt like an insurmountable financial challenge into something that actually seems possible with the right preparation and approach! This community is incredible. 💙

guys, i heard theres a new bill being proposed to overhaul the whole UI system. anyone know more about this? maybe itll fix some of these issues

I'm going through something similar right now! My 2504RE has been pending for about 3 weeks with zero movement. What's really frustrating is that there's no way to check the status or get any kind of timeline. I've been considering trying that claimyr service that @Ravi Kapoor mentioned - seems like actually talking to a human might be the only way to get answers. Has anyone had luck with the EDD chat feature, or is calling really the only option?

I just want to add my voice to everyone else here - definitely put February 16th! I went through this same situation last year with my daughter's first birthday and was so confused about which date to use. I ended up calling my company's benefits department and they told me the same thing everyone here is saying - the EDD certification is completely separate from your employer's leave tracking. They don't see your certifications and they already have your LOA paperwork on file. I put the day after my baby's birthday even though I didn't actually return for another month, and everything went smoothly. No overpayment issues, no confusion with HR. The key is understanding that you're telling EDD when to stop benefits, not reporting your work schedule. After reading all the horror stories about overpayments in this thread, I'm so glad I didn't put my actual return date! Those repayment notices sound like a nightmare to deal with. You're making the right choice by asking this question and getting clarity before submitting your certification.

I'm a new mom currently on PFL and my baby's first birthday is coming up in a few months. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the potential overpayment issues that could happen if you put your actual return date instead of when benefits end. The consensus here is crystal clear - put the day after your baby's birthday (February 16th in your case) because that's when PFL eligibility legally ends, regardless of any additional leave arrangements. The horror stories about thousands in overpayments plus interest are terrifying! It really helps to understand that the certification is asking "when should EDD stop paying you?" not "when are you physically back at your desk?" These are completely separate questions even though the form makes them sound the same. Thank you so much for asking this question - it's exactly what I needed to see before I get to my own final certification. This community has been so helpful with real experiences and advice. Definitely going with the benefit end date approach when my time comes!

I'm also new to this community and currently struggling with my first PFL claim! I submitted my bonding claim for my newborn about 3 weeks ago and have been completely unable to get through to EDD despite calling multiple times daily. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly helpful and deeply frustrating - it's clear this broken phone system is failing so many of us when we need support most. The timing strategies shared here are really valuable - I'm definitely going to try the 8am sharp approach that several people have mentioned, and @Alexander Zeus's Friday afternoon tip is something I hadn't considered. The Claimyr service that worked for @Ethan Clark also sounds promising as a backup option if direct calling continues to fail. It's absolutely infuriating that we have to become strategic experts and potentially pay third parties just to access benefits we've already paid into through our paychecks, especially when we're already exhausted from caring for newborns. But I'm grateful for this supportive community - knowing we're not alone in this struggle and having concrete strategies to try gives me some hope. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!

I'm also new to this community and dealing with my first PFL claim nightmare! I submitted my bonding claim for my newborn about 2 weeks ago and have been completely stuck trying to reach EDD. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly validating and deeply frustrating - it's clear this phone system is systematically failing new parents when we're most vulnerable. I'm definitely going to try the 8am sharp strategy that multiple people have had success with, and @Alexander Zeus's Friday afternoon approach is brilliant - sometimes the counterintuitive times work best! The Claimyr service that helped @Ethan Clark also sounds like a solid backup plan if direct calling continues to fail. What really gets me is that we're all having to become experts in gaming a broken system just to access benefits we've literally paid into through our own paychecks, while we're already exhausted from caring for newborns. But I'm so grateful for this supportive community - knowing we're not alone and having concrete strategies to try gives me hope. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and keeping each other sane through this process!

I'm in a similar waiting period right now - got approved last Friday and still checking the mailbox every day! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the 7-10 business day timeline is pretty consistent, and I love that tip about the plain white envelope - I definitely would have overlooked that. @Giovanni Moretti your experience with the address issue has me paranoid, so I just double-checked mine in the system and thankfully it looks correct. @Sofia Perez thanks for mentioning that Claimyr service - good to know there's a backup option if I need to get through to someone quickly. It's amazing how much anxiety this waiting period creates when you're trying to plan finances around a new family situation! Will definitely update when my card arrives.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my PFL approval on Monday and have been anxiously waiting for that debit card to show up. This thread is honestly so reassuring - I had no idea about the 7-10 business day timeline and was starting to worry something went wrong. The tip about the plain white envelope is super helpful too, I definitely would have mistaken that for junk mail. @Giovanni Moretti your address story has me terrified, but I just logged in and double-checked mine and it looks good. It's wild how stressful this waiting period is when you're trying to budget for a new baby! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and timelines. Going to try to be patient and stop checking the mailbox three times a day 😅