Can I use EDD PFL for baby bonding just 2-3 days per week instead of full-time?

Yes, you absolutely can use PFL for intermittent leave! I did this last year after my maternity leave ended. The technical term is "intermittent bonding" and EDD definitely allows it. You need to coordinate with your employer though since they need to certify your time off. When you file your claim, there's a section where you indicate you're doing intermittent bonding rather than continuous. Then when you certify each period, you only claim the specific days you weren't working. So if you work Monday/Wednesday/Friday, you'd only claim Tuesday/Thursday on your certification form. This stretches out your 8 weeks of benefits over a longer period since you're only using partial weeks at a time. Just make sure both your employer and EDD are on the same page about your schedule.

I tried this and it was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE. EDD kept messing up my claim and saying I was still working full-time so they denied payments. Called 67 times and no one could fix it!!! Had to re-file my entire claim and start over because someone at EDD "couldn't understand my schedule" according to the one person who finally answered. If you do this, document EVERYTHING, take screenshots of all your submissions and get names of every person you talk to. The system is NOT set up well for part-time baby bonding even though it's technically allowed!!

my sister just did this! she works tuesday wednesday thursday and uses pfl for monday and friday. she said its called partial baby bonding i think? her work hr helped setup the paperwork because they had another employee do it before

I understand your confusion - the EDD website doesn't make this very clear. You're asking about what's officially called "intermittent Paid Family Leave" or "part-time PFL." Here's how it works: 1. You can take PFL on specific days of the week rather than consecutively 2. You'll need to complete form DE 2508 indicating your intermittent schedule 3. When certifying for benefits, you'll only report the specific days you're on leave 4. Your employer needs to verify your work schedule/days off 5. This extends your claim period - instead of 8 consecutive weeks, your benefits stretch over more calendar weeks until you use all available days One important note: Your employer must approve this arrangement. While EDD allows intermittent leave, your company policies might require continuous leave, so check your employee handbook too. This option is perfect for parents wanting a gradual return to work while still bonding with their new child.

After spending WEEKS trying to get through to EDD about my maternity leave transition, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an agent and got all my questions answered. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 With intermittent PFL, it's really important to get clear answers directly from EDD because there are specific rules about how to certify correctly. The agent I spoke with explained exactly how to fill out the forms for my 3-day work week schedule. Saved me from making mistakes that could have delayed my payments.

Just wanted to add a quick note that my claim processor told me that while you CAN do intermittent leave, they are much more likely to audit these claims because they want to verify you're not working on the days you claim PFL. So make sure your employer's records match exactly what you're telling EDD or it could cause problems.

Anybody else notice that the EDD website contradicts itself on this? One page says you can take PFL "all at once" and another page mentions intermittent leave is possible. MAKE UP YOUR MINDS PEOPLE!!! 🙄

To answer your follow-up question - yes, for intermittent PFL baby bonding, you get a total of 8 workweeks which equals 40 days if you work a standard 5-day week. Each day you claim counts as 1/5 of a week against your total benefit. So if you're working 3 days a week and claiming PFL for 2 days, it would take 20 weeks to use all your benefits (40 days ÷ 2 days per week = 20 weeks). Just be aware that all PFL claims must be completed within a 12-month period from the first day you claim benefits. So plan your schedule to use all benefits within that timeframe.

i forgot to mention this but when my sister did it she said her first payment was delayed like 3 weeks because they had to review her claim more carefully or something. just plan for that maybe

My coworker just had a baby and is doing exactly what you're asking about! She works W-F and uses PFL for M-T. Her doctor filled out the form wrong initially which caused delays but otherwise its working fine now.