Filing second PFL baby bonding claim for husband - can we apply now for April leave?
Hi everyone! My husband used 17 days of his Paid Family Leave for baby bonding when our daughter was born in September. Now we're planning for him to take another 2 weeks (14 days) starting April 1st to help when I return to work after my maternity leave ends. I'm confused about the process for this second leave period. Does he need to file another DE2508 form on the EDD website for these additional days? Also, can we submit this application now even though his leave is still 6 weeks away? I'm trying to get everything organized before I go back to work and would appreciate any advice from parents who've done this!
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Brielle Johnson
Yes, he'll need to file another PFL claim for the additional bonding time! He can absolutely apply in advance - EDD actually recommends applying no more than 30 days before the leave starts. The form is the same DE2508 he used before. Just make sure he selects 'bonding' again as the reason and indicates it's a continuation of his previous claim. He gets up to 8 weeks total in a 12-month period, so he's got plenty of time left since he only used 17 days.
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Jake Sinclair
•Thanks so much! That's really helpful. So we should wait until early March to submit the new claim, right? Since it'd be about 30 days before his April 1st start date. Is there anything special he needs to do to show it's connected to his previous claim?
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Honorah King
When my husband did his 2nd leave period, he had to call EDD because the online system was giving him errors. Something about not being able to file a new claim when he already had one in the system even though his first bonding period was over. Took FOREVER to get through to someone. So frustrating!!!
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Oliver Brown
•I used Claimyr when I had the same problem with my second baby bonding claim. It got me through to an actual EDD agent in less than 25 minutes when I'd spent days trying on my own. The agent fixed everything right away and explained I needed to specify it was for a different bonding period but same child. Their video demo at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 shows how it works. Best $20 I ever spent given how much PFL money was at stake.
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Mary Bates
wait i thought dads only get 6 weeks? my husband got 6 for our baby last year not 8
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Brielle Johnson
•The benefit changed recently! As of 2023, both parents get up to 8 weeks of PFL for bonding. Before that it was 6 weeks, so your husband probably took his leave under the old rules.
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Clay blendedgen
I work for a company that processes leave requests, and I can confirm you need to file a separate claim for each bonding period. The 12-month eligibility period starts from the date of birth/placement, so you're well within the timeframe. One important note: make sure your husband's employer knows this is a continuation of his CALIFORNIA PFL baby bonding leave so they understand his job protection rights. Some employers get confused when leave is split up.
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Jake Sinclair
•That's a really good point about notifying his employer clearly! He already told his boss verbally but I'll make sure he gets something in writing too. Do you happen to know if there's a specific form for employers or just an email explanation?
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Clay blendedgen
•A simple email will work, but he should specifically reference that it's a continuation of his PFL bonding leave under CFRA (California Family Rights Act) if he's eligible for that protection. The important thing is having documentation that properly notifies them, not the specific format.
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Ayla Kumar
I tried to do EXACTLY this last year and it was a NIGHTMARE!!!! First they denied the second claim saying he already received benefits (yeah, DUH, but not all 8 weeks). Then they said we needed to provide proof it was the same baby (like she magically became a different baby???). EDD is so broken I can't even. We finally got it sorted but it took THREE MONTHS and by then his leave was already over so we just gave up.
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Lorenzo McCormick
•omg same. the edd system is sooo not designed for split bonding periods even tho they SAY you can split them up. my husband just took unpaid time for his second leave period because dealing with edd again wasn't worth the stress.
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Brielle Johnson
•I'm sorry you both had such terrible experiences! The system definitely has flaws, but I had success with my split periods by specifically noting "CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS BONDING CLAIM" in the additional information section. Also, I found that applying exactly 30 days before (not earlier) helped avoid some of the automated system issues.
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Jake Sinclair
I'm getting nervous about all these potential issues with filing a second claim. Has anyone successfully done this recently (like in the past few months)? Any specific tips to avoid problems?
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Honorah King
•My coworker just did this in January! His advice was to use the exact same wording for the reason as in the first claim, and to call EDD right after submitting to verify they can see it's a continuation. He said being proactive with calling saved him from the problems others have had.
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Brielle Johnson
One more thing - make sure your husband's employer didn't report him as having returned to work "permanently" after his first bonding period. Some HR departments make this mistake, and it can cause EDD to question the second claim. If possible, have him check with HR about how his first leave period was classified in their records.
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Jake Sinclair
•That's a great point I hadn't considered! I'll have him talk to HR tomorrow. Thank you!
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NeonNova
I just went through this exact situation in December! My husband took his second PFL bonding period after using only part of his 8 weeks initially. Here's what worked for us: 1) We applied exactly 30 days before his leave start date, 2) In the "additional information" section, I wrote "CONTINUATION OF BONDING LEAVE FOR SAME CHILD - PREVIOUS CLAIM #[his claim number]", 3) We kept all documentation from the first claim handy, and 4) He called EDD within 48 hours of submitting to confirm they could see it was a continuation claim. The whole process went smoothly and he got approved within 2 weeks. The key is being very explicit that it's a continuation and having the previous claim details ready!
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Amara Okafor
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I love how specific your steps are. Quick question - when you say he called within 48 hours to confirm, did he just ask them to verify the claim was in the system correctly? And did you have any issues with the online system recognizing it as a continuation versus trying to create a completely new claim?
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Dana Doyle
•This is so reassuring to hear about a recent success story! I'm definitely going to follow your exact steps. One thing I'm wondering - did your husband's employer need any special paperwork for the second leave period, or was the EDD approval sufficient? I want to make sure we don't run into any issues with his job protection during the second bonding period.
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