I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare! What your employer did is completely illegal - they absolutely cannot just "accept a resignation" that you never gave. That's textbook wrongful termination and pregnancy discrimination. YES, you can definitely still file for PFL! As someone who went through almost the exact same situation, I want to reassure you that your PFL eligibility is locked in based on your base period wages from when you qualified for SDI. Your current employment status has ZERO impact on your benefits. 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 RIGHT NOW - don't let another day pass! I made the mistake of hesitating when my employer pulled similar tactics, and I wish I had acted faster. With 70+ employees, your company is absolutely required to provide CFRA job protection for bonding leave. Document every single detail about that phone call where they "accepted your resignation" - date, time, exact words used, everything. Then file a complaint with DFEH immediately. I also strongly recommend consulting with an employment attorney - many handle pregnancy discrimination cases on contingency. Don't let them intimidate you out of benefits you've already paid for! I ended up getting a settlement from my employer after fighting back. You deserve both your PFL money AND accountability for their illegal actions. This community has your back - now go claim what's rightfully yours! 💪

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this absolutely horrible situation! What your employer did is completely illegal and unethical - they cannot just "accept a resignation" that you never actually gave. That's textbook wrongful termination and pregnancy discrimination. But here's the great news: YES, you can absolutely 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 successfully received SDI benefits, you've already proven you have all the qualifying wage history needed for PFL. You've been paying into this system through every single paycheck - those 8 weeks of baby bonding benefits are rightfully YOURS regardless of what your employer did. File your DE 2501F form immediately - today if possible! Don't let their illegal actions cost you even one day of benefits you've already paid for. Their bogus "resignation" stunt has absolutely zero impact on your PFL eligibility. Also, with 70+ employees, your company is definitely required to provide CFRA job protection for baby bonding leave. What they did violates multiple California laws. Please document everything about that phone call - date, time, exact words used, everything you remember. Then seriously consider filing complaints with both DFEH and consulting with an employment attorney (many handle pregnancy discrimination cases on contingency). Don't let them intimidate you out of benefits you've earned and deserve! Focus on your precious baby and claim what's rightfully yours. This community is rooting for you! 💪

This thread has been so eye-opening! I'm currently pregnant with my first baby and have been stressed about maternity leave since I've only been at my current job for 7 months. My manager made a comment last week about how "short-term employees don't get the same benefits" which really worried me. But reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear that my manager is confusing FMLA job protection with PFL wage replacement benefits. I've been working in California for over 2 years and paying SDI the whole time, so it sounds like I should absolutely be eligible for the pregnancy disability leave and baby bonding benefits through EDD. It's honestly mind-blowing how common this employer confusion seems to be! Every single story here sounds almost identical - HR departments mixing up federal job protection laws with state disability benefits. Makes me wonder if there should be some kind of mandatory training for employers about California's leave programs. I'm definitely going to start gathering the official EDD documentation now so I'm prepared when I need to educate my manager. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - it's given me so much confidence to advocate for the benefits I've already earned through my paycheck deductions!

I'm so glad you found this thread helpful! Your situation is unfortunately very common - that comment from your manager about "short-term employees" is exactly the kind of confusion we've all been talking about here. You're absolutely right that you should be eligible for both pregnancy disability leave and PFL baby bonding benefits since you've been paying SDI for over 2 years. The fact that you've only been at your current job for 7 months is completely irrelevant for PFL eligibility - it only matters for FMLA/CFRA job protection. I love your idea about mandatory training for employers! It really seems like every new parent in California has to become an expert on these programs just to get the benefits they've already paid for through payroll deductions. One thing I'd suggest is maybe having a casual conversation with your manager sooner rather than later to start educating them about the distinction. You could frame it as "I've been researching my options and wanted to clarify..." rather than waiting until you're closer to your due date when emotions and stress might be higher. The official EDD resources really do make a difference when you need to show employers the facts. Having that documentation ready will give you so much confidence in those conversations. Best of luck with your pregnancy and navigating this leave situation!

Congratulations on your new little one! I'm a new parent myself (had my baby 2 months ago) and went through this exact same confusion with my company's HR department. Everyone here is absolutely correct - both you and your husband are entitled to your own separate 8 weeks of California PFL for baby bonding! There's no family cap or shared limit whatsoever. Your HR is definitely confusing PFL with FMLA rules, which seems to be an incredibly common mistake. What finally cleared it up for me was downloading Publication DE 2511 from the EDD website (the official PFL fact sheet) and bringing it to my HR meeting. Once they saw the official documentation stating that each parent has an individual 8-week entitlement that cannot be reduced by their spouse's claim, they had to admit they were wrong. My partner and I are currently overlapping our leaves for 4 weeks, and then I'll take my remaining 4 weeks after they return to work. Having this extended family time together during those early weeks has been absolutely incredible for bonding and adjusting to parenthood. Don't let your HR's confusion discourage you from taking the benefits you're legally entitled to! Those 8 weeks for each of you are protected by law. Wishing you the best as you navigate this exciting new chapter! 💕

Congratulations on your new baby! I'm a fellow new parent (my daughter is 10 weeks old) and I literally just went through this exact same frustrating situation with my HR department a couple months ago. Everyone here is absolutely right - you and your husband each get your own separate, individual 8 weeks of California PFL for baby bonding. There is NO family cap, NO reduction, and one parent's claim does NOT affect the other parent's benefits in any way! Your HR department is 100% confusing PFL (California's wage replacement program) with FMLA (federal job protection law). This seems to be an epidemic-level confusion among HR departments unfortunately! Here's what finally worked for me: I called EDD directly (took forever to get through but worth it), had them email me written confirmation of the policy, then printed out Publication DE 2511 from the EDD website (the official PFL fact sheet). I brought both documents to my HR meeting and they finally had to admit they were completely wrong. My husband and I ended up overlapping our leaves for 5 weeks which was absolutely amazing for those intense early newborn days, then he went back while I finished my last 3 weeks. Zero issues with our claims or payments - everything processed exactly as it should. Don't let your HR's confusion rob you of the precious family bonding time you're legally entitled to! Stand your ground and get that official documentation. You've got this! 💪✨

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 😅

I just went through this exact situation a couple months ago and it was beyond frustrating! Here's what finally worked for me: • I started calling at exactly 8:00 AM when they open - way better success rate • Used the online chat feature during off-peak hours (like 2-3 PM) - sometimes gets you to someone faster than phone • Filed a complaint through their website when I hit the 4-week mark with no response - that seemed to shake something loose • Asked my employer's HR if they had a direct contact - turns out they did! The whole process took about 6 weeks total, but once I got someone on the line, they were actually pretty helpful and got things moving quickly. Don't give up! The system is definitely broken but persistence eventually pays off. Also, if you're dealing with time-sensitive medical issues, mention that upfront - they sometimes have expedited processes for urgent cases. Good luck! 🍀

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago and it was honestly one of the most frustrating experiences of my life! Here's what I learned: **For getting through on the phone:** - Call at exactly 8:00 AM when they open (set multiple alarms!) - Try calling on Tuesdays/Wednesdays - seemed less busy than Mondays/Fridays - Have ALL your info ready: SSN, case number, dates, etc. **Alternative approaches that worked:** - The online portal actually does get updated before they call you (check daily!) - Faxing documents got faster responses than email or mail - Your state representative's office can sometimes help - they have direct contacts **The waiting game:** - It took about 5-6 weeks total for me, which seems to be pretty normal unfortunately - Document every attempt to contact them (dates, times, who you spoke to) - Don't be afraid to escalate after 4 weeks with no response The system is absolutely broken, but almost everyone I know who stuck with it eventually got their stuff approved. It's just a matter of outlasting their terrible customer service! Hang in there and keep us updated on your progress. We're all rooting for you! 💪 Also, if anyone finds any new tricks for getting through faster, please share them here - we're all in this together!