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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nGood 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nOP 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:\n\n1. 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.\n\n2. 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).\n\n3. 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).\n\n4. Legal Protections: Be aware that choosing not to return means you voluntarily give up your FMLA/CFRA job protections.\n\nI 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!

As someone who went through a similar situation recently, I can definitely confirm what others have said - you won't owe EDD anything back! I was terrified about this too when I decided not to return to my previous job after my maternity leave. The state benefits (SDI and PFL) are insurance that YOU paid for through your paycheck deductions. Think of it like car insurance - you don't have to pay back a claim just because you switch insurance companies later! The only thing you might need to worry about is what your current employer provided on top of the state benefits. In my case, my company had paid the difference to bring me up to full salary for part of my leave, and I did have to pay that portion back since I didn't return for their required 60 days. But it was totally worth it for the better work-life balance at my new job. Don't let fear keep you from making the best decision for your family. Being a new mom is hard enough without adding a stressful commute and job you don't love!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Currently on PFL bonding leave and have been interviewing for a new position that would be so much better for my family. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that the state benefits were truly ours regardless of where we work afterward. For anyone else worried about this, it sounds like the key things to check are: 1. EDD state benefits = yours to keep (you paid into this insurance) 2. Employer supplemental benefits = check your handbook for any return-to-work requirements 3. Health insurance premiums = employer might want reimbursement if you don't return I think a lot of us new moms get caught up in guilt about "abandoning" our employer after leave, but honestly, having a baby changes everything about what we need from work. A 10-minute commute vs 45 minutes each way is HUGE when you're dealing with daycare pickups, pumping schedules, and just general exhaustion. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all these complicated situations!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm actually in week 6 of my PFL bonding leave right now and have been having similar worries about potentially switching jobs. My current workplace has been making some not-so-subtle hints about "expecting me back" and it's been stressing me out because I've also been getting some really interesting job inquiries. Reading everyone's experiences here has made me realize I've been overthinking this way too much. The fact that these are insurance benefits we paid into through our own paychecks really puts it in perspective - of course we shouldn't have to pay them back just for making a career change that's better for our families! @cb53ba43b0d6 I hope you go for that new opportunity! A 10-minute commute vs 45 minutes with a baby sounds like a no-brainer, especially if the hours are better too. Life is too short to be miserable at work when you have other options. Thanks to everyone who shared their actual experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to parse through confusing government websites or getting disconnected by EDD phone lines!

Wow, reading through this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently 8 months pregnant and starting to think about maternity leave logistics, but I hadn't even considered the possibility that I might want to switch jobs afterward. This conversation is making me realize how much having a baby might change my priorities around work-life balance. The clarification about state benefits vs employer benefits is so important - I definitely would have assumed I'd owe everything back if I didn't return. It's crazy how little clear information there is about this stuff when you're trying to plan for such a major life change. @cb53ba43b0d6 your original situation sounds so stressful, but it seems like you've gotten amazing advice here! A 35-minute daily commute reduction plus better hours sounds like it would be life-changing with a new baby. This thread is definitely going in my saved posts for reference. Thank you everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical info that's impossible to find anywhere else!

This thread has been such a goldmine of information! I'm currently 6 months pregnant with my first and honestly hadn't even thought about the possibility of wanting to change jobs after maternity leave. Reading everyone's experiences is making me realize how much my priorities might shift once the baby arrives. The biggest takeaway for me is understanding that the state benefits (SDI and PFL) are truly ours - we literally paid into this insurance system through our paychecks, so of course we shouldn't have to pay it back based on future job decisions! It seems so obvious now, but I definitely would have panicked about owing money back if I were in @cb53ba43b0d6's situation. I'm definitely going to dig into my employee handbook this weekend to understand what supplemental benefits my company provides and any potential return-to-work requirements. Better to know now while I can think clearly rather than trying to figure it out postpartum! Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this kind of practical advice from people who've actually been through it is so much more valuable than trying to navigate government websites or get through to EDD. You've all probably saved multiple people from unnecessary stress and worry!

This entire thread has been incredibly reassuring to read! I'm currently on week 7 of my PFL bonding leave and have been wrestling with a very similar decision. My pre-baby job requires a lot of travel and long hours, and I've been offered a remote position with much better work-life balance. I was terrified that leaving would somehow jeopardize my benefits or require repayment. The insurance analogy really clicked for me - we pay SDI premiums every paycheck specifically for these situations! It makes perfect sense that the benefits are ours regardless of future employment decisions. @cb53ba43b0d6 your situation sounds like a no-brainer honestly - cutting your commute from 45 minutes to 10 minutes with a new baby would be life-changing! Plus better hours on top of that? That's exactly the kind of opportunity that makes having a baby feel less overwhelming. I'm definitely going to review my employee handbook this weekend to check for any supplemental benefit requirements, but knowing that the bulk of what I received (the state portion) is mine to keep makes this decision so much less stressful. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - this community is amazing for getting practical advice you literally can't find anywhere else!