Great news! Just to add some helpful information for anyone else reading this thread: When returning to work after disability but before using PFL, make sure to: 1. Get an official end date for your disability claim (when you were cleared to return to work) 2. File your DE2508 for PFL separately, clearly indicating your intended PFL dates 3. Keep documentation from both your employer and doctor about your leave dates 4. If using PFL intermittently throughout the year, maintain a detailed calendar of those dates The 12-month eligibility period for baby bonding PFL starts from the baby's birth date, not from when disability ends, which gives families flexibility in how they use these benefits.

This is such a common issue unfortunately! I went through something similar when my employer's HR department messed up my FMLA paperwork timing. One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed timeline of all the dates - when the baby was born, when I should have started each benefit period, when the doctor errors happened, etc. EDD representatives seem to be more helpful when you can give them exact dates and reference numbers. Also, if your daughter does return to work before everything is sorted out, make sure she gets written confirmation from her employer about her exact return date. This documentation becomes important if there are any questions later about benefit eligibility periods. The system is frustrating but it sounds like you're on the right track now! Fingers crossed the disability payments come through quickly once they process the corrected paperwork.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - my PFL claim has been stuck on "Pending Process" for about 5 weeks now. It's so nerve-wracking when you're relying on that income and just get radio silence from them. From reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key things to check are: 1) calling early morning repeatedly until you get through, 2) verifying with HR that your employer submitted their portion correctly, and 3) double-checking that all your documentation was complete. I'm going to start making those 8 AM calls tomorrow and also reach out to my HR department. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this frustrating process!

I'm in a similar boat - submitted my PFL claim about 6 weeks ago and it's been stuck on "Pending Process" this whole time. The lack of communication is honestly the most frustrating part. I've tried calling multiple times but can never get through. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the early morning calling strategy is really the way to go. I'm also going to check with my HR department like others suggested - didn't even think about potential issues on the employer side. @Jacinda Yu have you had any luck reaching out to your HR yet? It might be worth trying before doing the paid calling service thing. The waiting game is brutal but at least we're not alone in this mess!

have you checked your spam folder? sometimes confirmation emails end up there. also, make sure your using the correct email address. i made that mistake once and spent days trying to figure out why i wasnt getting any updates lol

Another thing to check - make sure the file name doesn't have any special characters or spaces. I had issues uploading a document called "Medical Records - January 2024.pdf" but when I renamed it to "MedicalRecords_Jan2024.pdf" it worked fine. The system can be picky about file naming conventions. Also, try uploading during off-peak hours (like early morning or late evening) when their servers aren't as busy - sometimes that helps with the upload success rate.

This thread has been so educational! I'm a new parent myself and had no idea about the complexity of California's leave system. Reading through everyone's experiences really shows how important it is to advocate for yourself and double-check everything with both HR and EDD. The fact that you almost missed out on 2 weeks of paid PFL because of miscommunication is exactly why these discussions are so valuable. It's frustrating that such an important system is so poorly explained, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share their real experiences. Congratulations on your new baby and I'm so glad you got those extra paid weeks figured out!

As a California parent who just went through this exact situation last year, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get everything in writing from both your HR department and EDD! I had a similar experience where my HR initially told me I only had 6 weeks of PFL, but when I called EDD directly, I discovered I was entitled to the full 8 weeks. The key lesson I learned is that even HR departments sometimes aren't fully up to date on all the changes to California's leave laws. I also recommend keeping detailed records of all your leave dates and payments - it really helps when you're trying to figure out what benefits you've used and what's still available. Congratulations on your new baby, and I'm so happy you discovered those extra 2 weeks of paid leave! Those early weeks are so precious.

Is it weird that I'm kinda gonna miss that debit card? It was like my lil unemployment buddy for a while there 😂

Serious question: has anyone had issues with their bank after switching to direct deposit? My bank once froze my account when I got a large deposit and I'm worried about that happening with unemployment payments.