Can I split PFL baby bonding into separate periods? Need to return to work after 2 weeks

Yes, this is absolutely possible! Your partner can split their 8 weeks of PFL baby bonding leave into smaller increments as needed. They don't have to take it all at once. However, there are a few important things to know: 1. All baby bonding leave must be completed within the first 12 months after your child's birth 2. Each increment must be at least 1 week long (7 days) unless your employer agrees to shorter periods 3. You DO need to file a separate claim form (DE2508) for each period of leave 4. Your partner should notify their employer about this change to their leave schedule Make sure they let their employer know ASAP about returning early, and then they'll need to submit a new claim when they want to use the remaining weeks later on.

my friend did this exact thing last year when her mom got really sick during her baby bonding time. she went back to work for like a month and then took the rest of her time later. she said she had to fill out a whole new application the second time which was kind of annoying but it worked fine!!

I split my baby bonding into 3 different chunks when i had my daughter - worked great but there are some gotchas! 1) You ABSOLUTELY need to notify EDD that your partner is returning to work early 2) You need separate applications for each chunk (annoying!) 3) IMPORTANT: Your weekly benefit amount might change if your partner's earnings change during the quarters they calculate for each application 4) Some employers have policies requiring longer minimum chunks than EDD's 1-week minimum - check your partner's employee handbook Also make sure you track everything carefully. EDD messed up my claim when I did my 3rd segment and I had to call like 60 times to reach someone who could fix it.

BEWARE!!! I tried to do this and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! I had to submit a new application each time and the second time they denied my claim saying I hadn't worked enough quarters even though NOTHING HAD CHANGED with my employment!!! It took 3 WEEKS to get it fixed and I almost missed a mortgage payment because of their incompetence. Make sure you keep EVERY DOCUMENT and start the new application process AT LEAST 3 weeks before your partner wants to take the second chunk of leave!!!

I think there's some confusion in the answers here. The way it works is that you need to COMPLETE a claim before filing a new one. If your partner is planning to go back after using only 2 weeks, they need to contact EDD and tell them they're completing their claim early (not using the full amount). I did this by calling, but I think you can also indicate it on your certification form. When they're ready to use the remaining 6 weeks, they'll file a completely new claim. It's not a continuation - it's a fresh claim with all the same paperwork as the first time. And yes, it must be used within 12 months of birth. Honestly, the whole process was pretty seamless for me. I split my leave into two chunks (4 weeks right after birth, 4 weeks when my baby was 6 months old) and had no issues.

jst adding that ur partner should double check with hr cause some companies have policies that dont allow split baby bonding even tho edd does. my company makes us take all 8 weeks at once but my cousins company let him split it up

One more thing to consider - if your partner is currently on baby bonding leave following Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), the transition to restarting work and then going back on baby bonding gets a bit more complex. In that case, they'll need to make sure they properly complete the transition between benefits the first time. Also, as others have mentioned, each new claim will use different quarters for the base period calculation. For claims filed now, they'll look at earnings from roughly Q1-Q4 2024. If your partner files a new claim in a few months, they might be using a different set of quarters which could change the weekly benefit amount.

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact situation last year! My partner split their 8-week baby bonding leave into three separate periods - 3 weeks initially, then 2 weeks when our baby was 4 months old, and the final 3 weeks when they were 8 months old. The key things that helped us: 1. We kept detailed records of all communications with EDD and our employer 2. Started each new application about 2-3 weeks before the intended start date (learned this the hard way!) 3. Made sure to formally close each claim period by calling EDD rather than just stopping certifications One tip that saved us hassle: when filing the subsequent claims, we attached a note explaining it was a continuation of baby bonding leave from the same birth. This seemed to help the processors understand the situation better and avoid delays. The whole process was manageable once we figured out the system, and the flexibility was totally worth it for our family's needs. Good luck!

This is such great information from everyone! I'm actually going through something similar right now - my partner is 3 weeks into their PFL baby bonding leave and we're considering having them return to work early to save some weeks for later in the year when my mom visits to help with childcare. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key steps are: 1. Check with HR about company policy on split leave 2. Formally notify EDD about ending the current claim early (by calling them) 3. File a completely new application when ready to use the remaining weeks 4. Start the new application process 2-3 weeks before the intended start date 5. Keep detailed records of everything One question I have - has anyone dealt with this when switching between different types of leave? My partner might want to use some of their remaining baby bonding time right after I go back to work from my own maternity leave, so there wouldn't be a gap in childcare coverage. Would that timing cause any issues with EDD? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is incredibly helpful!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation where my partner and I are considering splitting up their PFL baby bonding leave. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the process is definitely doable but requires careful planning and documentation. A few things I'm taking away from this discussion: 1. Each split requires a completely new application (DE2508 form) 2. Company HR policies might be more restrictive than EDD's rules 3. The base period calculation can change between claims, potentially affecting benefit amounts 4. Starting the new application 2-3 weeks early seems to be the sweet spot to avoid delays One thing I'm curious about - has anyone had experience with how this affects taxes? Since each period is technically a separate claim, I'm wondering if we'd receive multiple 1099-G forms or if it all gets consolidated. Also, for anyone who's been through this process, did you find it helpful to work with your employer's HR department throughout, or did you mainly handle everything directly with EDD? Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world insight that's impossible to find on the official EDD website!

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences! I'm just starting to research this topic as my partner and I are expecting our first baby in a few months and trying to plan out our leave strategy. From reading through all the responses, it sounds like splitting PFL baby bonding leave is definitely possible but comes with some administrative complexity. A few follow-up questions based on what I've learned here: 1. When you file the second (or third) claim, do you need to provide all the same documentation as the original claim (birth certificate, etc.) or does EDD already have that on file? 2. Has anyone experienced issues with their employer treating the gap between leave periods as job abandonment or anything like that? I'm wondering if there are any employment protections we should be aware of. 3. For those who split their leave into smaller chunks, did you find that shorter periods (like 1-2 weeks) were less beneficial than longer ones, or was the flexibility worth it regardless? This community has been so helpful for understanding the real-world experience versus what's written in the official guidelines. Much appreciated!

This is such a comprehensive discussion! As someone who's currently navigating this same decision, I really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences. One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your partner is planning to split their leave, it might be worth considering the timing around your employer's benefit year or any upcoming policy changes. My company just updated their parental leave policy to be more generous, but the changes only apply to leaves starting after a certain date. Also, I've been reading that some people have had success reaching out to their EDD local office directly (if you can find contact info) rather than going through the main phone system. A friend mentioned that her local office was much more helpful in explaining the split leave process than the general customer service line. Has anyone here tried coordinating with their partner's employer's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for guidance on this? I'm wondering if they might have resources or experience helping other employees navigate split PFL claims. Thanks again to everyone who's shared their stories - it's so helpful to hear from people who've actually been through this process!

I'm a newcomer to this community but this thread has been incredibly enlightening! My spouse and I are currently facing a similar decision with their PFL baby bonding leave. They're 4 weeks into their 8-week leave and we're considering having them return to work for about a month before using the remaining 4 weeks when my mother-in-law visits to help with childcare. Based on everything I've read here, it sounds like the key steps are: 1) Check company policy first, 2) Formally notify EDD about ending the current claim early, 3) File a completely new DE2508 application for the remaining weeks, and 4) start that process 2-3 weeks before the intended return to leave. One question I have that I haven't seen addressed - if there are any complications or delays with the second claim approval, is there any way to extend the gap between work and the second leave period? Or once you commit to a specific start date for the remaining leave, are you locked into that timeline? Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences - this is exactly the type of practical guidance that's impossible to find in the official EDD documentation!

As a new member of this community, I wanted to share my recent experience with splitting PFL baby bonding leave since it might be helpful for others in similar situations. My partner and I just went through this process a few months ago. They took 3 weeks initially after our baby was born, then returned to work for about 6 weeks, and then used the remaining 5 weeks when our childcare arrangements changed. A few things I learned that haven't been mentioned yet: 1. When you're ready to file the second claim, make sure to keep a copy of your original claim confirmation/approval letter. While you do need to resubmit most documents, having that reference number sometimes helps EDD connect the dots that it's related to the same birth. 2. Be prepared for potential differences in processing time between your first and subsequent claims. Our second claim took almost 3 weeks to approve versus just 10 days for the first one, possibly because it required more manual review. 3. If your partner's work schedule or pay rate changed between leave periods, that could affect the benefit calculation since they'll be looking at different base period quarters. The flexibility was absolutely worth the extra paperwork in our case, especially since it allowed us to better coordinate with extended family help. Just make sure to start the process early and keep detailed records of everything! Hope this helps others who are considering this option. This thread has been such a valuable resource!

As someone who just joined this community, I want to say thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences here! My partner and I are currently facing this exact situation - they're 5 weeks into their 8-week PFL baby bonding leave and we're considering having them return early to save some weeks for when daycare falls through later this year. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I'm taking away several key points: the importance of checking company policy first, the need to formally close the current claim with EDD before returning to work, starting the second application 2-3 weeks early, and keeping detailed documentation throughout the process. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned - has anyone dealt with this situation where the split leave periods cross over into a new calendar year? We're thinking my partner might use their remaining weeks in early January, and I'm wondering if that creates any additional complications with the benefit calculations or tax implications. Also, for those who successfully completed split leaves, did you find that your employer was generally supportive of the arrangement, or did you face any pushback about the non-traditional timing? This thread has been such a valuable resource for understanding what to expect with this process. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to share their real-world experiences!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community but this thread has been absolutely invaluable. My partner and I are in almost the exact same situation - they're currently 3 weeks into their PFL baby bonding leave and we just found out they might need to return early due to a critical project deadline at work. Reading through all the experiences shared here, I feel much more confident about the process now. It sounds like the key is: 1) confirming our company allows split leave, 2) formally notifying EDD to close the current claim early, 3) filing a brand new DE2508 when ready for the second period, and 4) starting that second application well in advance. One question I have - for those who've done this, did you find it helpful to get something in writing from your employer confirming they support the split leave arrangement? I'm thinking it might be good documentation to have in case any issues come up later with either the company or EDD. Also, has anyone had experience with this when the employer uses a third-party leave administrator (like FMLA Source or similar)? I'm wondering if that adds any extra complexity to coordinating the split periods. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance that makes all the difference when navigating these systems!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some additional insights that might help! My partner and I went through this exact process about 8 months ago and had a really smooth experience overall. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that when you call EDD to formally close the first claim period, ask them to add notes to your file explaining that this is a planned split leave for the same child. This seemed to help when we filed our second claim - the processor already had context and it moved through much faster. Also, regarding the timing question someone asked about crossing calendar years - we actually did this! My partner used 4 weeks initially in November, then the remaining 4 weeks in February. There were no issues with EDD, and for taxes we just received two separate 1099-G forms (one for each tax year). Our tax preparer said this was totally normal. One practical tip: if your partner's employer uses direct deposit for regular pay, make sure to confirm that the split PFL periods will also use direct deposit. With our second claim, there was some mix-up and they initially tried to mail checks, which would have delayed our first payment by over a week. The flexibility was absolutely worth the extra paperwork in our case. Just start early and communicate clearly with everyone involved!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences! My partner and I are currently in week 2 of their 8-week PFL baby bonding leave, and we're considering a similar split arrangement due to some upcoming work commitments. Reading through all these responses, I'm struck by how much more complex this process is than the EDD website makes it seem. The practical insights here - like asking EDD to add notes to your file when closing the first claim, starting the second application 2-3 weeks early, and getting written confirmation from your employer - are exactly what we needed to hear. One question I haven't seen addressed: has anyone dealt with this when their employer requires them to use accrued vacation time concurrently with PFL? I'm wondering if that complicates the split leave process, since the vacation time would also need to be split up accordingly. Also, for those who successfully navigated this, did you find that having a specific reason for the split (like childcare arrangements or work deadlines) helped when explaining the situation to EDD or your employer? Or is the flexibility allowed regardless of the reason? This thread has been incredibly valuable - thank you to everyone who took the time to share their real experiences!

Hi KylieRose! Welcome to the community! I'm also relatively new here but have been following this amazing discussion closely. Regarding your question about concurrent vacation time - that's a really good point that I don't think has been covered yet. I imagine it would add some complexity since you'd need to coordinate both the PFL split and the vacation time allocation with your employer's HR department. You'd probably want to clarify upfront how they handle vacation time when leave is split into multiple periods - do they require it to be used proportionally with each PFL period, or can you choose when to apply it? As for having a specific reason, from what I've read in everyone's experiences here, it seems like EDD generally allows the flexibility regardless of the reason as long as you follow the proper procedures. The key appears to be clear communication and proper documentation rather than justifying why you need the split. Though having a concrete reason probably doesn't hurt when explaining the situation to your employer! One thing I've learned from this thread is that starting conversations with HR early about these details can really help avoid confusion later. Since you're only in week 2, you have plenty of time to get clarity on their policies before making any decisions. This community has been such a goldmine of practical information that you just can't find anywhere else!