EDD PFL baby bonding question - Must I report 30% employer wage supplement when filing claim?

yea you def need to report ANY income u receive during ur claim period or else theyll hit u with overpayment later. happened to my cousin last yr

Actually, this is an important distinction. Your employer's 30% wage supplement during baby bonding is what's commonly called "integration of benefits" and you DO need to report it on your PFL claim. On the PFL application (DE2501F), there's a section asking if you're receiving any other benefits or wages - this is where you'll disclose the 30% supplement. EDD will then coordinate your benefits with this wage replacement, which is perfectly legal. Your employer is essentially 'topping up' the state benefit (which typically replaces about 60-70% of wages) to give you a higher percentage of your normal pay during leave. Just make sure you have documentation from your HR department describing this benefit.

When I took baby bonding leave last summer, I was in the exact same situation! My company paid 40% supplement. The EDD rep told me the supplement actually doesn't reduce my PFL benefit because it's specifically designated as a separate parental leave benefit and not regular wages. But definitely report it to be safe!!!! I think it depends on how your employer classifies it.

The previous responses have some confusion, so let me clarify: You absolutely must report your employer's 30% wage supplement on your PFL application. However, whether this reduces your PFL benefit depends on how your employer classifies and reports this payment. If your employer reports it as "Paid Family Leave Supplemental Benefit" specifically (and not as regular wages, PTO, or vacation), then EDD may not reduce your state benefit. Many employers structure their parental leave policies this way intentionally. The key is proper disclosure on your part and proper classification on your employer's part. Ask your HR department specifically how they classify and report this payment to EDD. Get this in writing if possible. On your DE2501F form, look for the section about additional income during leave and list the supplement there.

I went through this EXACT situation in January with my baby bonding claim. Called EDD for 3 days straight and couldn't get through to ask this question. Wasted so much time! Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an EDD agent in like 15 minutes. They have this cool service where they call EDD for you and get you in the callback queue. Saved me hours of frustration! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 The EDD agent confirmed I needed to report my employer supplement (mine was 25%) but explained it wouldn't reduce my benefit since it was designated specifically as a parental leave supplement, not as regular wages or PTO. But they emphasized I HAD to report it regardless.

Why are people giving such confusing advice here?! The answer is SIMPLE: YES, you MUST report ALL income received during your claim period! Whether that income affects your benefit amount is for EDD to decide based on their policies, not for you to determine. Failure to report is FRAUD regardless of what type of income it is. I've worked in HR for 12 years and seen countless employees get hit with overpayment notices because they listened to bad advice. If EDD determines later that you should have reported it, you'll not only have to pay back benefits but could face penalties or even prosecution in extreme cases.

congrats on your new baby!! i had my second in december and just finished my leave. whatever you do make sure you keep track of all your paperwork and make copies of EVERYTHING you send to edd. they lost my certification form twice and it delayed my payments by weeks. so stressful

Just to follow up on this thread - I checked with a colleague who's an EDD specialist. Here's the official answer: You must report the wage supplement on your PFL claim application. However, if your employer properly classifies this as a "PFL Wage Supplement" or "Paid Family Leave Integration" (specific terms matter), then EDD will not count this against your benefit calculation. The key is that both you and your employer need to use the correct terminology and reporting. Ask your HR department for the exact classification they use for this benefit and get documentation if possible. This will help prevent any issues with your claim.

Great to see you got clarity from HR! Just wanted to add one more tip since you're a first-time parent - when you submit your PFL claim, also keep a record of the exact dates you plan to take leave. Sometimes EDD will ask for verification that you're actually bonding with your baby during the claimed period, especially if you're taking intermittent leave or returning to work part-time. Also, don't forget that you have up to 12 months from your baby's birth to use your bonding leave, so you don't have to take it all at once right after birth if that doesn't work for your family situation. Best of luck with your new little one!

As someone who just went through this process with twins last fall, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely must report the 30% supplement! I was in the exact same boat, panicking about doing something wrong. My employer's supplement was classified as "Parental Leave Wage Integration" and while I had to report it on my DE2501F form, it didn't reduce my PFL benefits at all. One thing I wish someone had told me - when you meet with HR tomorrow, also ask them if they need any additional forms from you before you go on leave. My company required me to fill out their internal parental leave request form 30 days before my due date, separate from the EDD paperwork. Would have saved me some last-minute stress! Also, start your PFL claim as soon as possible after your baby arrives - there's no waiting period for baby bonding leave like there is for some other types of PFL claims. Congratulations on your upcoming arrival!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation 6 months ago! Yes, you absolutely need to report that 30% supplement - I made the mistake of initially not reporting mine because I thought it was "separate" from my regular wages. Got a scary letter from EDD about 8 weeks later asking for clarification and had to provide all the documentation after the fact. Thankfully no penalties since I was able to show it was an honest mistake, but it delayed my payments for almost 3 weeks while they sorted it out. The good news is that once I provided HR's documentation showing it was classified as a "PFL Wage Supplement," EDD confirmed it didn't reduce my benefit amount at all. So you get both the state PFL benefit AND your employer's 30% on top of it, which is awesome! Just make sure when you file your claim that you're very clear in the "additional income" section about what this payment is and attach any documentation from HR. Better to over-document than under-document with EDD!

Hey there! I just went through this same situation with my first baby 3 months ago and was equally stressed about it. You definitely need to report that 30% supplement on your PFL claim - it's required regardless of how it's classified. The key thing is getting the right documentation from HR about how they're categorizing it. In my case, HR provided a letter stating it was a "Paid Family Leave Wage Integration Benefit" and when I submitted that with my DE2501F form, EDD processed everything smoothly. The supplement didn't reduce my PFL benefits at all, so I got the full state benefit plus the company's 30% on top. Pro tip: when you meet with HR, ask them to email you a summary of exactly how they report this benefit to EDD and what tax forms it will appear on. Having that documentation upfront made my claim process so much easier. Also, file your claim within the first few days after baby arrives - the sooner you get everything submitted, the sooner payments start! Don't stress too much about the paperwork complexity - sounds like you're being super proactive by planning ahead. Wishing you all the best with your new arrival! 🍼

Hey Dmitry! Congrats on your upcoming arrival! 🎉 I went through this exact same situation when my daughter was born 8 months ago. Your employer's 30% wage supplement absolutely needs to be reported on your PFL claim - there's no way around it. The good news is that if it's properly classified as a parental leave supplement (which it sounds like it is), it likely won't reduce your PFL benefits. You'll essentially get both! When I filed my claim, I was super nervous about this too, but my HR department provided documentation showing it was a "PFL Wage Integration Benefit" and EDD didn't reduce my state benefits at all. Here's what I'd recommend: When you meet with HR tomorrow, ask them specifically what they call this benefit in their system and how they report it to EDD. Get this in writing if possible. Then on your DE2501F form, be very clear in the additional income section about what this payment is and attach that HR documentation. One more tip - start your PFL claim as soon as baby arrives! There's no waiting period for bonding leave, and the sooner you file, the sooner payments start rolling in. You've got this! The fact that you're planning ahead shows you're going to be an awesome parent. 👶

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I had a 25% employer supplement during my bonding leave and was terrified about reporting it correctly. What really helped me was calling the EDD PFL line early in the morning (around 8:05 AM right when they open) - I got through in about 20 minutes versus the horror stories of waiting hours. The rep was super helpful and walked me through exactly how to report the supplement on the DE2501F form. She explained that as long as your employer classifies it properly (which sounds like yours does based on other responses), you'll get both benefits without the supplement reducing your PFL amount. The key is just being transparent about it upfront. Also, definitely keep detailed records of all your conversations with HR and EDD. I created a little folder with all my documentation - it made me feel so much more organized during an already overwhelming time as a new parent. You're doing great by planning ahead! Most people don't think about this stuff until after baby arrives and then scramble to figure it out. Your little one is lucky to have such a thoughtful parent! 💙