Can my husband claim remaining PFL weeks separately after initial 2-week claim?

yep, you can absolutely take the remaining weeks later! my hubby did the same thing, took 3 weeks right after birth and then another 5 weeks when i went back to work. pretty sure you just file a new claim for the remaining time.

You'll need to file a new DE2508 form for the remaining weeks. California PFL allows you to split your 8 weeks of benefits within a 12-month period starting from the first day you take leave. Your husband will need to reference his previous claim number on the new application. The key is making sure he's still within that 12-month window from when he first started using PFL in April, so August would definitely work. Just make sure his employer is notified properly about the intermittent leave schedule.

I've gone through this exact process. You'll file a new claim using form DE2508 for the remaining weeks. Important things to know: 1. Keep the original claim number handy - you'll need to reference it 2. The 12-month period starts from your child's birth/adoption date (not the first PFL claim) 3. There's no minimum time requirement for the second portion (can be 1 day or all 6 weeks) 4. You'll receive the same weekly benefit amount as the first claim 5. Your husband's employer cannot deny him these benefits if he's eligible The only tricky part is sometimes the EDD representatives get confused about intermittent claims. I recommend applying online through the SDI Online portal rather than paper forms.

Be careful with that advice above! The 12-month period starts from when your husband FIRST took leave, not your child's birth date. I know because I just went through this nightmare with EDD. If he started PFL in April 2025, he has until April 2026 to use those remaining 6 weeks. The EDD phone reps told me different things every time I called which was SO frustrating!! I spent 3+ hours on hold multiple times and kept getting disconnected. Btw, if you're having trouble reaching EDD, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Totally worth it to get a straight answer on this stuff!

does anyone know if theres a minimum days you have to take for the second part? like can he just take 1 day here and there or does it have to be in whole weeks?

When my wife and I did this last year, we found out you have to take AT LEAST 2 WEEK CHUNKS each time!!! The EDD rep was super clear about this. Something about the law requiring minimum 2-week increments for baby bonding. So your husband would need to take 2 weeks, then can take the final 4 weeks later, but can't just take random days. At least that's what they told us?

I just wanted to add that my husband did EXACTLY what yours is planning. He took 2 weeks right after birth and then took the other 6 weeks about 6 months later when my maternity leave ended. It worked perfectly! Just filed a new claim for the second part and made sure to reference the first claim number. The benefit amount was exactly the same too. Good luck!!

FYI just because I was confused by this too - baby bonding PFL and pregnancy disability are DIFFERENT programs! Your husband is on PFL, which is the 8 weeks. Pregnancy disability is what birthing moms get before/after birth (up to 4 weeks before and 6-8 weeks after depending on delivery type). I got totally confused about this and filed the wrong paperwork at first lol.

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.