I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation right now! My PFL baby bonding claim has been stuck for over 2 weeks and I'm getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm planning to try the Tuesday 8:00 AM strategy using 1-877-238-4373 with the 1-1-2 sequence. The insider tips about listening for background noise during that 3-4 second delay and using specific language like "PFL baby bonding claim stuck due to employer date issue" are game-changers I never would have known about. It's both heartbreaking and reassuring to see so many other new parents struggling with this broken system when we should be focused on bonding with our babies instead of fighting bureaucracy. Thank you everyone for sharing what actually worked - this community support gives me hope that persistence will eventually pay off! Going to charge my phone, write down my questions, and commit to however many redials it takes this Tuesday morning. 🤞

I'm a new parent who just successfully got through to EDD PFL after weeks of trying! I used the Tuesday 8:00 AM strategy with 1-877-238-4373 and the 1-1-2 sequence that everyone's been recommending. It took 67 redials but I finally got through after listening for that background noise cue during the delay - that insider tip was absolutely crucial! My claim was stuck because my employer submitted the wrong transition date from pregnancy disability to baby bonding, just like so many others here. The rep was incredibly helpful and fixed it immediately - I should see payments within 5-7 business days. To anyone still struggling: download an auto-redial app, have your claim ID and baby's birth date ready, charge your phone fully, and DO NOT give up once you hear hold music no matter how long it takes. This thread gave me the exact roadmap I needed when I was desperate and overwhelmed. Thank you to everyone who shared what worked - your advice literally saved my family's financial situation! 🙏✨

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new parent (baby arrived last month) and I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out the PFL system. Based on everyone's advice, I ended up taking 3 weeks initially, then I'm planning to take my remaining 5 weeks in two chunks - 3 weeks in the spring and 2 weeks in the summer when my partner has more availability to help. One thing I learned that might help others: when you're planning intermittent leave, it's worth having a conversation with your payroll department too, not just HR. They need to coordinate with EDD on the wage verification, and mine mentioned that having the dates planned out in advance makes their job much easier. Also, for anyone worried about the paperwork - yes, there are additional forms for each period, but it's not nearly as complicated as the initial claim. The "Notice and Request for Additional Period" form is pretty straightforward once you've been through the process once. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it made navigating this whole system so much less stressful!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm that intermittent PFL for baby bonding is absolutely allowed! I took mine in three chunks: 3 weeks right after birth, 2 weeks when my partner went back to work, and then my final 3 weeks during the holidays when childcare was harder to arrange. A few practical tips that saved me headaches: - Submit your paperwork at least 3 weeks before you need each period to start (processing takes time!) - Keep a calendar specifically for tracking your PFL usage - it helps when filling out forms - If your employer uses a third-party leave administrator (like UNUM or MetLife), make sure they understand California's intermittent PFL rules too The 12-month window to use all 8 weeks gives you SO much flexibility. Just remember that your employer's policy might be more restrictive than EDD's, so definitely get that conversation with HR sorted out first. Good luck with your little one!

I'm so sorry you're going through this terrible situation! What your employer did is absolutely illegal - they cannot just "accept a resignation" that you never actually gave. That's wrongful termination, especially right after your pregnancy disability leave. But here's the important news: YES, you can definitely still file for PFL! Your eligibility for Paid Family Leave is based entirely on your base period wages (typically 5-18 months before your claim), NOT your current employment status. Since you already successfully received SDI benefits, you've already proven you have the qualifying wage history needed for PFL. You've been paying into this system through every single paycheck, and you're entitled to those full 8 weeks of baby bonding benefits regardless of what your employer did. File your DE 2501F form immediately - don't let another day pass! Their illegal actions have absolutely no impact on your PFL eligibility. Also, please document everything about that phone call where your manager "accepted your resignation." With 70+ employees, your company is required to provide CFRA job protection, and what they did sounds like textbook pregnancy discrimination. Consider filing a complaint with DFEH and consulting with an employment attorney - many handle these cases on contingency. Don't let them steal what you've already paid for! Focus on your precious baby and claim every benefit you deserve. You've got this mama! 💪

What your employer did is absolutely outrageous and completely illegal! You CANNOT be forced to "resign" when you never actually quit - that's textbook wrongful termination and pregnancy discrimination. YES, you can absolutely still file for PFL! I'm a benefits specialist and I see this confusion all the time. Your PFL eligibility is locked in based on your base period wages (the 5-18 months before your claim), NOT your current employment status. Since you successfully received SDI benefits, you've already proven you have the qualifying wage history for PFL. You've been paying into this system through every paycheck - those 8 weeks of baby bonding benefits belong to YOU. File your DE 2501F form TODAY - don't wait another minute! Their illegal "resignation" stunt has zero impact on your PFL benefits. Also, with 70+ employees, your company is absolutely required to provide CFRA job protection for baby bonding leave. What they did violates multiple laws. Document every detail of that phone call and file complaints with both DFEH and potentially the Department of Labor. Many employment attorneys handle pregnancy discrimination cases on contingency too. Don't let them intimidate you out of benefits you've already paid for! You deserve both your PFL money AND justice for their illegal actions. This community has your back - now go claim what's rightfully yours! 💪

I'm in the exact same boat right now! Been trying to figure out the cancellation process for my PFL claim and this thread is a goldmine of information. @Julia Hall your step-by-step guide is incredibly helpful - I'm definitely going to follow those exact steps. And @Chloe Harris the afternoon calling tip is brilliant, I never would have thought of that timing strategy! I've been dreading making this call but reading everyone's experiences makes it seem much more manageable. Quick question for those who've been through this - do they typically ask for a specific reason code or category when you're canceling, or can you just explain in your own words? I want to be as prepared as possible before I call. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this community is amazing! 🙏

I actually had to cancel my PFL claim earlier this year and wanted to share what worked for me! The most important thing is to be super persistent with the phone calls - I literally set reminders to call every 2 hours until I got through. When I finally connected with someone, they were surprisingly understanding about my situation (had to return to work sooner than expected due to staffing issues). The rep walked me through everything and even sent me a confirmation email the same day. One tip I didn't see mentioned - if you have the EDD online portal account, log in before you call and have all your claim details pulled up on screen. It made the verification process much faster when they asked for information. The whole cancellation was processed within 3 business days and I haven't had any issues with future claims. Don't overthink it too much - once you get someone on the phone, they handle this kind of request all the time!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently going through the same process - filed my baby bonding PFL claim about 12 days ago and still waiting for my Notice of Computation. Reading everyone's actual timelines is so much more helpful than EDD's vague website that just says "processing times vary." The financial stress while on unpaid leave is real - I've been calculating and recalculating our budget daily trying to figure out how long we can stretch things. It's reassuring to see that most people are getting their Notice of Computation around 2 weeks and then payment within a week after that. @GalaxyGazer so glad your payment is finally processing! Gives me hope that mine will come through soon too. Thanks everyone for being so open about your experiences - this community support makes all the difference when you're navigating this confusing system for the first time! 🙏

Going through this exact same situation right now! Filed my baby bonding PFL claim about 8 days ago and have been obsessively checking the mail for that Notice of Computation. The financial stress is so real when you're on unpaid leave - I literally made a spreadsheet tracking all our expenses and how long our savings will last! 😅 This thread has been incredibly helpful though. Based on everyone's timelines, it sounds like I should get my notice within the next few days, and then hopefully payment about a week after that. It's so frustrating that EDD doesn't provide clearer timelines, especially when new parents are already dealing with so much. @GalaxyGazer congrats on your payment processing! That gives me so much hope. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's exactly what so many of us are wondering but were too stressed to ask about!