My son turns 1 July 3rd, I want to take my PFL/Baby Bonding a week before his 1 year. Will I still get paid the full 8 weeks and be protected?

It's perfectly fine to take your Paid Family Leave (PFL) for baby bonding right before your son's first birthday. California law allows you to take this leave anytime within the first 12 months after birth, so starting a week before his birthday is completely within your rights. You will still be eligible for the full 8 weeks of PFL benefits as long as you start the leave before your child turns one. Your job protection depends on a few factors though: If you're covered by FMLA/CFRA (which applies if you work for an employer with 5+ employees and you've worked there for at least a year with 1,250+ hours), you'll have job protection for 12 weeks total between any pregnancy disability leave and baby bonding leave. If you've already used some FMLA/CFRA time for pregnancy disability or other reasons, you might have less protected time remaining, but you'd still get the full PFL benefits payment for 8 weeks. When you apply, just make sure to submit your claim no earlier than the first day of your leave but no later than 41 days after your leave begins. Have your child's birth certificate ready as supporting documentation.