One more important detail: make sure your husband notifies his employer at least 30 days before taking the second portion of leave (if possible). While he has the right to take intermittent PFL, proper notification is required. California law protects his job during leave if the company has 20+ employees (under CFRA regulations), but smaller companies may have different rules.

Just went through this same situation last month! My partner took 3 weeks initially and then filed for the remaining 5 weeks about 4 months later. The process was pretty straightforward - you do need to file a new DE2508 form but it's basically identical to the original application. The key things that helped us: 1) Keep all your original paperwork handy (especially the claim number), 2) Apply through the SDI Online portal if possible (much faster than paper), and 3) Make sure you're still within the 12-month window from when he first started PFL. One tip - when we called EDD to confirm everything was processed correctly, we mentioned it was a "continuation" of an existing claim and that seemed to help the rep understand what we were doing. The whole thing took about 2-3 weeks to get approved and payments started. Your August timing should work perfectly!

Thank you all SO MUCH for your helpful responses. I'm feeling much better about our situation now. My husband is going to apply for UI right after his last day, and then switch to PFL once our baby arrives. We'll be super careful about stopping the UI certifications properly before starting PFL. I'm also going to look into my own SDI benefits as someone pointed out - I hadn't even thought about that part yet (pregnancy brain is real!). This community has been an absolute lifesaver during such a stressful time. Will update once we get through this process in case it helps anyone else!

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - make sure your husband keeps detailed records of all his job applications during this whole process. When he transitions back to UI after PFL, EDD may ask for proof that he was actively seeking work before the baby was born, and they'll definitely require it once he resumes UI benefits. Also, if he hasn't already, he should sign up for CalJOBS (the state job portal) as it integrates with the UI system and can help streamline the work search documentation. Having everything organized will make the transitions smoother. Wishing you both the best with your new baby and hoping he finds something soon! The job market is tough right now but project management skills are definitely in demand.

Yes, you can split up your PFL baby bonding time! You have 12 months from your baby's birth to use all 8 weeks. You can take it in increments as small as 1 day if your employer approves. Just remember that each time you want to claim a new portion of your PFL, you need to submit a new claim form for that specific period. Many parents save some PFL time for holidays or when their partner goes back to work. The only requirement is that you take it within that first year.

Just wanted to add my experience from going through this transition last month! I filed my PFL claim exactly 7 days before my SDI ended (following the advice I found here actually), and the transition was seamless - no gap in payments at all. One tip that really helped me: when you're filling out the PFL application online, there's a section that asks about "previous claims" - make sure to reference your SDI claim number there. It seems to help EDD connect the two claims faster. Also, don't panic if your EDD account looks weird for a day or two during the transition - mine showed confusing status updates but the payments came through on schedule. The whole process was way less scary than I expected after reading everyone's horror stories!

Pro tip: call right when they open. I got through after only 20 minutes on hold last week!

Anyone else notice that the hold music is like... weirdly catchy? I caught myself humming it at the grocery store the other day 😂

I'm dealing with something similar - applied for PFL about 2 weeks ago and still nothing showing up in my account. The waiting is killing me financially! I've been trying the early morning call strategy mentioned here, but even at 8am sharp I get the busy signal. Has anyone had success with filing a complaint or escalating through other channels? I'm wondering if there's a way to at least get confirmation that they received the application properly.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my PFL application 2.5 weeks ago and absolutely nothing in my online account. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money. I've been following some of the advice here - tried calling at 8am on the dot but still can't get through. One thing that helped me a little was checking if my employer submitted their portion correctly (if applicable). Sometimes delays happen on their end too. Also keeping screenshots of everything and documenting all my attempts to contact them. Really considering trying that Claimyr service even though I'm skeptical about paying for something that should be free. This whole system is just broken. Sending you solidarity - we shouldn't have to jump through these hoops when we're already dealing with family situations that qualify us for PFL in the first place! 😔