EDD SDI reporting dilemma: Do I need to report February paycheck for January work during maternity leave?

This is actually a common issue with commission-based or project-based work. Since the work was performed BEFORE your disability began, this should NOT count as income during your disability period. When you report wages to EDD during disability, you're supposed to report income based on when you EARNED it, not when it was paid to you. Your HR department is incorrect here. When you certify for benefits, you'll see a question asking if you worked or earned wages during the certification period. Since you earned this money before your disability started, you should answer "no" to this question for your February certification. I went through something similar with consulting fees that paid out during my maternity leave. I called EDD to confirm (took forever to get through), and they verified that I should report based on when the work was performed, not when I received payment.

DONT LISTEN TO THE PREVIOUS ADVICE!!! I did EXACTLY what they're saying with my bonuses last year and got SLAMMED with a $5k overpayment notice 6 months later!!! EDD doesnt care when you EARNED the money, they care when you RECEIVED it. If that money hits your account during disability, you HAVE to report it or they will find out through tax records and youll owe it back with penalties. The EDD system is BROKEN and completely unfair but thats how it works. Either hold the payment or report it. Dont risk the headache of fighting an overpayment notice while dealing with a newborn!!!!

I had something similar happen last year with my maternity leave! I received a performance bonus during my leave for work done the previous quarter. The way I handled it was to get a letter from my employer stating exactly what period the payment was for (the dates the work was performed) and that it was earned before my disability began. When I called EDD to ask about it, I couldn't get through for DAYS. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours redialing. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 The EDD rep confirmed that I should report based on when the work was performed, not paid. But having that letter from my employer was critical in case there were questions later. Definitely get something in writing from your company!

There's a specific distinction in EDD rules between "wages in lieu of notice" (reportable) and "severance pay" (not reportable for SDI purposes). Similarly, there's a distinction for commissions/bonuses based on when the work was performed vs paid. Here's what you need to do: 1. Get documentation from your employer stating the exact period during which the work was performed (dates) and that it was completed prior to your disability period 2. When certifying, answer "no" to questions about working during the certified period 3. Keep all documentation for at least 3 years in case of audit 4. If questioned, clearly explain these were earnings for work performed prior to disability I've handled dozens of these cases and the key is proper documentation showing when the work was actually performed. Your HR department should absolutely provide this documentation - push back if they refuse.

ok so ive been thru this 2x with my pregnancies and here's the real deal: technically u should report based on when the work was done but EDD's system isnt sophisticated enough to handle this nuance most of the time. what i did was report it when paid BUT i wrote a note in the comments section explaining these wages were for work done before disability. never had any problems. the note is key!!!

Just curious - how far along are you? I'm 36 weeks and so nervous about getting everything in order before baby comes! My doctor mentioned possibly starting disability at 38 weeks and I'm stressing about all the paperwork too.

why is no one talking about the REAL issue here - the fact that EDD and employers make this SO CONFUSING on purpose? the whole system is designed to make us mess up so they can deny benefits. i spent WEEKS fighting with them about my bonding period after disability and no one gave me straight answers either. the most frustrating part of maternity leave isnt the lack of sleep, its dealing with this broken system!!!

Quick update on my earlier comment: I checked the latest EDD SDI handbook (2025 edition) and it specifically addresses this scenario on page 12: "Wages earned before the disability period but paid during disability should not be reported as earnings during disability. Documentation may be required to verify when the work was performed." This confirms what several people have mentioned - you need to focus on when the work was performed, not when it was paid. But documentation is key to avoid problems later.

UPDATE: I wanted to share what happened in case anyone else runs into this issue! I ended up using Claimyr to reach an EDD rep (thanks for that tip - totally worth it to not spend hours calling). The rep confirmed that I should NOT report the February payment since it was for work completed before my disability period began. I requested and received an email from my manager confirming the dates the work was performed (Jan 3-26) and that the payment was delayed solely due to our company's commission payment schedule. I'm keeping this documentation saved just in case there are any questions later. Thanks everyone for your help! Now I can focus on my baby instead of stressing about EDD issues. 😊