Glossary ✦

All the alphabet soup, in plain English.

Search terms

18 terms

Base period: A 12-month window of your past wages that EDD uses to decide eligibility and pay amount.
Bonding leave: Time off to care for and bond with your new baby (CFRA for job protection, PFL for pay).
CASDI: California State Disability Insurance (paystub line); The line on your paystub showing you pay into State Disability Insurance. If you see it, you're likely covered.
CFRA: California Family Rights Act; 12 weeks of job-protected bonding leave after PDL ends, if you've worked 1+ year and 1,250+ hours at an employer with 5+ employees.
CRD: California Civil Rights Department; Enforces PDL and CFRA job-protection rights.
DE 2501 / DE 2501FP: DE 2501 is the Disability Insurance claim form. DE 2501FP is the new-mother PFL bonding form EDD sends after your last DI payment.
DI: Disability Insurance; The part of SDI that pays you during pregnancy and recovery.
DIEC: Disability Insurance Elective Coverage; Lets self-employed people opt into SDI and PFL by paying in. Enroll at least 6 months (two complete calendar quarters) before claiming; DIEC disability benefits last up to 39 weeks.
EDD: Employment Development Department; The California agency that runs SDI and PFL.
FMLA: Family and Medical Leave Act (federal); 12 weeks of federal job protection that runs at the same time as PDL/CFRA — it doesn't add weeks.
Intermittent leave: Taking leave in pieces instead of all at once — like 2-week blocks of bonding time.
Job-protected leave: Leave where your employer must give you the same or a comparable job when you return.
myEDD: EDD's online account where you file and track your DI and PFL claims.
PDL: Pregnancy Disability Leave; California job protection for the time you're actually disabled by pregnancy or birth — up to 4 months (17⅓ weeks, or 693 hours for full-time work; pro-rated for part-time). Employers with 5+ employees.
PFL: Paid Family Leave; Up to 8 weeks of partial pay to bond with your baby. Pay only — it doesn't hold your job.
SDI: State Disability Insurance; California's program that pays you partial wages while you can't work — including pregnancy and recovery.
Waiting period: An unpaid first period of a claim before benefits begin. For DI, the first 7 days are unpaid. PFL has no waiting period.
WBA: Weekly Benefit Amount; How much SDI or PFL pays you each week.

Friendly reminder: this isn't legal advice. It's an estimate based on California and federal rules (current as of October 16, 2026) to help you prepare for your conversation with HR and EDD. Your employer's policies, your union contract, and EDD's final decision may differ. When in doubt, confirm with HR, EDD, or free help from Legal Aid at Work (800-880-8047).