When should my husband file for baby bonding PFL if I'm due in May? (Railroad industry worker)

Your husband should apply for PFL AFTER you give birth, not before. The earliest he can submit his claim is when he actually starts his leave, and he'll need your birth certificate or hospital documentation to prove the bonding relationship. For railroad workers, it gets a bit complicated because some railroad employees are covered under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act instead of state disability programs. He should check with his HR department ASAP to confirm which system covers him - this makes a huge difference in the application process. If he's covered under California EDD (not railroad unemployment), he would apply through SDI Online and can get up to 8 weeks of paid family leave for bonding. The smart approach is to have him take some time right after birth when you need the most help, then save some bonding leave for after you've healed a bit or when you return to work (if you're planning to).

congrats!!! i took pfl last yr when my daughter was born and I applied like 2 weeks beforehand but got rejected cuz thats not how it works lol. had to reapply after she was actually born with her birth certificate. if hes doing baby bonding he gets 8 weeks but he has to take at least 2 weeks at a time i think? dont quote me on that exact rule tho

The railroad industry is typically governed by federal regulations rather than state programs. My brother-in-law works for Union Pacific and didn't qualify for California PFL - he had to use RUIA benefits instead, which work differently. Your husband should definitely check with his HR department FIRST before applying for anything through California EDD. I've seen people waste weeks applying through the wrong system only to find out they weren't eligible. Also, if he does qualify for CA PFL, he needs to have contributed to SDI through payroll deductions. If his paychecks don't show SDI deductions, that's another sign he might be under the railroad system instead.

To add some important details to what others have shared: 1. If your husband is covered by California PFL (not railroad benefits), he can claim his 8 weeks of baby bonding anytime within the first 12 months after birth. 2. He'll need to provide a copy of the birth certificate or hospital documentation showing your child's date of birth. 3. He needs to give his employer 30 days notice when possible before taking leave. 4. The first week is a waiting period with no benefits paid unless he's transitioning directly from disability leave. 5. The online application through SDI Online is pretty straightforward but can be confusing the first time through. If he discovers he's actually under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), the process and benefits are completely different - he would apply through the Railroad Retirement Board instead of EDD.

When my wife had our son, I tried filing for PFL and spent 2 WEEKS trying to reach someone at EDD to answer questions. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human and got everything sorted in one call. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Whether he's covered by CA or railroad benefits, he's going to need to talk to someone directly to confirm and the phone systems are nightmares either way. Saved me so much stress during an already stressful time.

As someone who works in HR (not for a railroad though), I wanted to mention that many railroad workers are covered by the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) instead of state disability programs. The RUIA provides sickness and unemployment benefits to railroad workers, but it works very differently from California's PFL program. The RUIA does provide some benefits for illness or injury, but historically has been much more limited for family leave purposes compared to California PFL. However, there have been some updates to railroad benefits in recent years. Your husband should: 1. Talk to his HR department immediately to understand which system applies to him 2. If he's under RUIA, contact the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) for details 3. If he's eligible for CA PFL, follow the advice others have given about applying after birth Understanding which system he falls under is the crucial first step before planning anything else.

everyones talking about complicated railroad stuff but fyi my husband just took bonding leave and the most important thing was DOCUMENTATION!!! make sure u keep copies of EVERYTHING. birth cert, hospital discharge papers, application confirmation, everything!!! my husband almost got denied because they claimed they never got his birth cert (they did, they lost it). and when u call edd its impossible to get anyone on the phone who knows anything!!!

I see there's a lot of discussion about which system your husband might fall under. To give you more clarity: - Most Class I railroad workers (major freight railroads like BNSF, Union Pacific, etc.) are covered under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), not state disability. - If he works for a smaller regional or short line railroad, he might be covered under California SDI/PFL. - The easiest way to check: look at his pay stub. If there's an SDI deduction, he's likely covered by California. If there's an RUIA deduction, he's under the railroad system. If he's under RUIA, the application process is through the Railroad Retirement Board, and the benefits structure is different. The good news is that recent policy changes have improved some family leave benefits for railroad workers, but the specific details will depend on his employer and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. For timing: if he's under CA PFL, he can take the 8 weeks anytime in the first 12 months. If he's under RUIA, there may be different limitations on when and how he can take leave.

since ur husband is railroad he needs to check like yesterday which system he's under!!! my cousin works for amtrak and went through this whole thing last year. complete nightmare because he applied through california first and wasted weeks before finding out he needed to go through RRB (railroad retirement board). their website is rrb.gov i think

I'm so sorry for your loss with your mom - that must make this time even more overwhelming. I went through something similar with my husband's leave when our daughter was born last year. Since you've confirmed he has RUIA deductions, definitely go through the Railroad Retirement Board. One thing that helped us was calling RRB directly at 1-877-772-5772 - they were actually much easier to reach than EDD and way more helpful. The railroad system has different rules but the benefits can be comparable depending on his specific situation. Also, some railroad companies have additional family leave policies beyond what RUIA provides, so definitely check with HR about any supplemental benefits. The timing will be different than California PFL, but the good news is you'll likely get clearer answers once you're dealing with the right system. Railroad workers deal with this all the time, so RRB should be able to walk you through everything step by step. Good luck with everything!

I'm a railroad worker myself (BNSF) and went through this exact situation two years ago when my son was born. Since your husband has RUIA deductions, he'll definitely need to go through the Railroad Retirement Board, not California EDD. The good news is that RRB is generally much more responsive than state agencies. For railroad workers under RUIA, you get sickness benefits that can be used for family bonding, but the process and timing are different. He'll need to apply after the baby is born and will need documentation like the birth certificate. The benefit amount is based on his railroad earnings, and there's typically a 4-day waiting period. One important thing - make sure he coordinates with his railroad's crew management or HR about the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well. Railroad FMLA works a bit differently than regular FMLA, and he might be eligible for unpaid protected leave beyond what RUIA covers. Some railroads also have their own supplemental family leave policies. The RRB customer service line (877-772-5772) is your best bet for getting accurate information specific to his situation. They can walk you through the whole process and timeline. Hang in there - it's confusing at first but once you get connected with the right people it gets much clearer!