CA PFL: How to balance 8-week leave with new promotion and family finances?

Congrats on the baby! 🎉 I was in a similar boat last year. Here's what I learned: • CA now offers up to 8 weeks of PFL for bonding • Benefits are 60-70% of your weekly wage for higher earners • Lower-income folks get 70-90% (new increase this year) • You can split your leave, but it might delay payments when you reopen the claim I ended up taking 6 weeks all at once and saved 2 weeks for later. It worked well for me, but everyone's situation is different. Have you talked to your HR about options?

oof, i feel you. i took my leave all at once cuz i couldn't deal with the stress of going back to work right away. but ngl, it was rough financially. make sure you have some savings to fall back on if you can

Have you considered asking your work about doing part-time for a bit? That way you could ease back in and still get some bonding time. Might help with the financial stress too.

Guys, I found a way to actually get someone on the phone at EDD! I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM

lol welcome to the wonderful world of parental leave in america 🤡 where you have to choose between bonding with your baby and paying bills. system's broken af

Quick tip: make sure you file your claim within the first 41 weeks after your child's birth. I almost missed the deadline and it was a whole thing. Don't be like me lol

Anyone else notice how the EDD website is always "under maintenance" when you need it most? 🙄 Trying to file a claim is like playing whack-a-mole with error messages.

Hey OP, congrats on the new addition! 👶 Just a heads up, make sure you're clear on how your employer's policy interacts with the state benefits. Some companies "top up" your pay to 100%, others don't. It can make a big difference in your planning.

unpopular opinion: take all the time you can get. you'll never get these early months back with your kid. work will always be there, but your baby wont be tiny forever 💯

Hey Amara! Congrats on your little one! 🍼 I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago. Here's what helped me decide: I made a simple pros/cons list for taking it all at once vs. splitting: • All at once = consistent payments, full bonding time, but harder transition back • Split = flexibility for work emergencies, but potential payment delays between claims Since you mentioned being head of household, definitely calculate your exact benefit amount first. The new rates are pretty decent - I got about 68% of my regular pay. Also ask your employer if they offer any supplemental benefits during PFL. One thing that really helped me was setting up a small emergency fund before starting leave, even if it was just a few hundred bucks. Made the reduced income way less stressful. Whatever you choose, don't feel guilty about it! You're doing what's best for your family. Good luck! 💪