EDD PFL weeks in 2025: Still 8 weeks or increased to 12 weeks?
I'm due with my first baby in June and trying to plan my leave. I've always thought California PFL was 8 weeks for baby bonding, but my coworker who just had her baby said it's now 12 weeks? I can't find consistent info on the EDD website about this. Has anyone applied for PFL recently and can confirm how many weeks we actually get in 2025? I need to budget properly and let my boss know exactly how long I'll be out. Thanks!
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Kayla Jacobson
As of right now, California PFL is still 8 weeks for baby bonding. Your coworker might be confusing it with FMLA/CFRA which gives 12 weeks of job protection (but is unpaid). There was legislation proposed to extend PFL to 12 weeks but it hasn't passed yet. You should plan for 8 weeks of paid benefits unless something changes before June.
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Hannah Flores
•Thank you! That makes sense - she probably combined her pregnancy disability leave with PFL and got confused about the total. Appreciate the clarification!
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William Rivera
omg this is so confusing!! i thought it was 6 weeks, then i got 8 when i had my son last year. now its 12?? why do they keep changing this???
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Grace Lee
•It USED to be 6 weeks years ago, then changed to 8 weeks. There have been bills trying to push it to 12 weeks but NONE HAVE PASSED yet!! The EDD website is terrible at explaining this clearly. This is why so many people get wrong information and end up with financial problems. If you're planning leave for 2025, definitely plan for 8 weeks of PFL. If they increase it before then, great, but don't count on it.
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Mia Roberts
Your coworker might be thinking about the total time off. If she had a normal pregnancy, she probably got 4 weeks Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) before birth + 6-8 weeks PDL after birth + 8 weeks PFL for baby bonding. That adds up to about 18-20 weeks total, but only 8 of those are specifically PFL baby bonding benefits.
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Hannah Flores
•That makes total sense. I'll double check with her, but I think you're right. I'm planning to take PDL + PFL + some unpaid time too, so maybe she was just talking about her total leave. This is my first baby so I'm getting all the terms confused!
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The Boss
I just filed for PFL baby bonding last month, and it's definitely still 8 weeks. But they don't have to be taken all at once! You can split them up however you want within the first year of your baby's life. That was really helpful for me since I'm taking 4 weeks now and saving 4 weeks for when my husband goes back to work. Also, make sure you know that PFL and SDI are two different things! Pregnancy Disability Leave (through SDI) is what you get before birth and right after. Then PFL is for bonding after you're medically cleared. The transition between the two can be confusing.
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Evan Kalinowski
•I tried calling EDD to ask about this SDI to PFL transition and was on hold for 3 hours before getting disconnected! How did you manage the transition between SDI and PFL? Did you have to file a whole new claim or was it automatic?
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Hannah Flores
Thanks for all your helpful responses! It sounds like the current benefit is definitely 8 weeks for PFL baby bonding. I guess my coworker either confused the terminology or was talking about her total leave with PDL combined. Does anyone know if the 8 weeks of PFL has to be taken immediately after PDL/SDI ends? Or can I take a few weeks of unpaid leave in between?
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Kayla Jacobson
•You don't have to take PFL immediately after your PDL/SDI ends. You can take unpaid leave in between, but just be aware that your claim process may be a bit more complicated. All PFL needs to be used within the first 12 months after your baby is born. Just make sure your employer is on board with whatever schedule you choose!
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Diego Chavez
Just wanted to add that I'm currently going through this process and can confirm it's still 8 weeks for 2025. I applied in February and got approved for 8 weeks of PFL baby bonding. One thing that helped me was calling the EDD customer service line early in the morning (like 8 AM sharp) - much shorter wait times than later in the day. Also, make sure you have your doctor's certification ready before you apply because that can slow things down if it's not complete. The whole system is confusing but once you get through it, the benefits are really helpful for new parents!
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Fatima Al-Hashimi
•Thanks for the tip about calling at 8 AM! I've been dreading having to call EDD but that's really helpful to know. Quick question - when you say "doctor's certification," is that different from the regular medical forms my OB fills out for PDL? Or is it the same paperwork that gets used for both SDI and PFL? I want to make sure I have everything ready ahead of time so there are no delays.
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Brian Downey
•@Diego Chavez That s'a great tip about the 8 AM call time! I m'also curious about the doctor certification - is this something separate from the normal forms our doctors fill out for pregnancy disability? And did you find the EDD representatives helpful once you got through, or did you still have to figure most things out on your own? I m'trying to get all my ducks in a row before my baby arrives in a few months.
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Yuki Tanaka
•@Diego Chavez Thanks for sharing your recent experience! That s'really reassuring to hear it s'definitely still 8 weeks. I m'planning my leave for June too, so it s'helpful to know what to expect. Quick question - when you applied in February, how long did it take to get approved? I m'trying to figure out the timeline so I can let my employer know when to expect the paperwork and when payments might start.
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Zainab Ahmed
•@Diego Chavez This is super helpful! I m'also expecting in June and have been stressing about the whole EDD process. When you got your approval, did they send you a physical letter or was it all online? And did your payments start right away after approval or was there still a waiting period? I keep hearing different things about how long the whole process takes from application to actually receiving benefits.
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Teresa Boyd
•@Diego Chavez Thank you so much for confirming it s'still 8 weeks in 2025! I ve'been getting so much conflicting information. Quick question about the doctor s'certification - did you need a separate form for PFL or did your OB just fill out one form that covered both SDI and PFL? I want to make sure I request the right paperwork during my next appointment so there are no delays when it s'time to apply.
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