Will I owe EDD money if I don't return to previous job after pregnancy disability and PFL baby bonding?

You're totally fine! California PFL and SDI benefits don't have any requirement that you return to your previous employer. These are insurance programs you paid into through your payroll deductions. The benefits are yours regardless of whether you return to your old job or take a new one. This is different from FMLA/CFRA job protections, which only guarantee your job will be held, but don't affect your benefits eligibility. As long as you were legitimately disabled during your pregnancy disability period and legitimately bonding during PFL, you won't have to repay anything. Good luck with the new job opportunity! Sounds like a much better fit for your new family situation.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I've been losing sleep over this. I was definitely legitimately out for both periods - have all the medical documentation for the disability portion and the baby is very real lol. Such a relief to know I can make the best choice for my family without owing thousands. You just made my day!

ur FINE!! my friend did this last year after her maternity leave. she hated her old boss and found a better job while she was still on leave. EDD doesnt care where u work after as long as u were off work for the right reasons during ur claim

WRONG INFORMATION ABOVE!! Be very careful! You absolutely MIGHT have to pay it back depending on your employer's policies. If your company has a policy that requires you to return for a certain period after leave (many do!), they can require you to reimburse them for benefits they paid during your leave. Check your employee handbook ASAP before making any decisions. The EDD won't ask for their money back, but your employer might!!!

This is an important clarification. You're right that *some* employers have policies requiring you to return after leave or repay certain benefits - but those would be for benefits the employer provided (like supplemental pay or continued health insurance), not the state disability or PFL benefits from EDD. OP was specifically asking about repaying EDD benefits, which are not affected by changing jobs. But it's good advice to check if the employer provided any additional benefits that might have return-to-work requirements.

Omg thanks for pointing this out! I just checked my employee handbook and there is a section about supplemental maternity benefits (they topped up my state benefits to 100% for 6 weeks). It says if I don't return for at least 30 days after leave, I'd have to repay THEIR portion. So that would be some money, but nowhere near the full $12,800 I was worried about. This helps me figure out what I'm really risking!

Has anyone actually gotten through to EDD to ask questions like this? I've been trying to call about my own PFL issue for 2 weeks and I LITERALLY CANNOT GET THROUGH. I've tried calling right when they open, right before close, middle of the day... always the same recorded message and disconnection. This system is a complete joke!

I had this exact problem trying to sort out a PFL/SDI transition issue. After wasting days trying to get through, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep in about 25 minutes instead of spending hours redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Totally worth it to get my question resolved - the EDD rep was actually really helpful once I finally got through to a human being.

Wait really?? I've never heard of this but I'm desperate at this point. Did you actually talk to someone who could help with maternity leave stuff and not just general UI questions?

Yes! I specifically got help with my pregnancy disability to baby bonding transition issues. The key is that they connect you with the actual disability/PFL department, not just the general UI people who can't help with our specific situations.

I think I'm in the opposite situation as you - I went back to my old job after baby bonding and HATE IT. The commute with a baby is impossible, my boss is being weird about my pumping breaks, and I'm miserable. Now I'm wondering if I should look for a new job but worried about how it looks to quit so soon after returning from leave. Anyone dealt with this??

who cares how it looks?? ur baby and sanity matter more than what some future employer thinks. just say u needed a job that was more family friendly. lots of ppl understand that now

To give you a complete answer: 1. State Benefits (EDD Disability and PFL): These are insurance benefits you paid into via SDI deductions from your paycheck. There is NO requirement to return to your previous employer to keep these benefits. These will not need to be repaid regardless of where you work after leave. 2. Employer-Provided Benefits: As others mentioned, if your employer provided supplemental pay during your leave, their policies might require repayment if you don't return for a specific period (usually 30-90 days). 3. Health Insurance: If your employer continued your health insurance during leave, they may be entitled to recover their premium costs if you don't return (this is allowed under both FMLA and CFRA). 4. Legal Protections: Be aware that choosing not to return means you voluntarily give up your FMLA/CFRA job protections. I suggest getting any job offer in writing before giving notice at your current job, and calculating exactly what (if anything) you might need to repay to your current employer based on their specific policies.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I definitely have the offer in writing already, and I'm going to talk to HR tomorrow about any potential repayments for the supplemental portion. From what I can tell from the handbook, it would be about $3,200 I'd need to repay for their

Did anyone else notice that EDD payments have SIGNIFICANTLY dropped this year?? When I was on maternity leave with my first baby in 2023, I got way more per week than I'm getting now with my second baby, even though my salary went UP in between. The maximum benefit amount seems to have decreased which makes NO SENSE with inflation!!! The system is broken!

The maximum weekly benefit amount for SDI and PFL is actually $1,620 in 2025, which is higher than previous years. Your benefit amount is based on your highest quarter of earnings during your base period, which is different for each claim. It's possible your base period for this claim captured a time when you earned less (maybe during parental leave with your first child?). You can request a benefit recalculation if you think there's an error.

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in this situation - I did exactly what you're considering! I was on SDI for pregnancy complications followed by PFL bonding, and ended up taking a different job that was much better for work-life balance. The key thing to remember is that these benefits are YOUR benefits that you earned by paying into the system. EDD won't ask for anything back as long as your leave was legitimate (which yours clearly was). One thing I'd suggest is being upfront with your current employer about your decision as soon as possible - it's actually better for them to know you won't be returning so they can move forward with hiring rather than holding your position. Most reasonable employers understand that having a baby changes your priorities and needs. The new job sounds like it will be so much better for your family situation. Trust your instincts - you know what's best for you and your baby!