You’re already out on your Leave.
Please do not file before you’re out on leave, such as filing before giving birth, or in anticipation of any other type of Leave you will need to take.
Your first full day of Leave was no longer than 30 days ago.
If took your first full day of Leave more than 30 days ago, you may lose out on some benefits. If you file your claim more than 6 months after the first day of your Leave, you are no longer eligible for PFL benefits.
You are currently employed or have not been unemployed.
If you have been unemployed (including furloughed, temporarily laid off, or out of work because your employer is currently closed) and you are eligible for/collecting unemployment benefits, you cannot collect both unemployment and PFL.
Everything is completed.
Whether taking leave to bond with a new child, care for an ill family member, or spend time with a loved one as a result of a military leave event, you will need to complete and submit the general “Request for Paid Family Leave” form (PFL-1):
- complete Part A of the PFL-1 form,
- give it to your employer to complete Part B. Your employer must complete their section and return it back to you within 3 business days.
In addition to the completed PFL-1 form, you are responsible for obtaining and submitting the necessary certifications and supporting documents to show the need for your Leave.
Bonding Leave
For bonding leave, you will need to submit the following:
- PFL-1 completed by both you and your employer
- PFL-2 (Bonding certification) completed by you
- Supporting documentation proving the relationship between the claimant (you) and child, such as the birth certificate. Form PFL-2 has a checklist to help you identify what exact documentation is needed for your specific bonding situation
See more details about supporting documentation and timing of your claim in
this bonding claims roadmap here.
Caregiver Leave
For leave to care for a seriously ill family member, you will need to submit the following:
- PFL-1 completed by both you and your employer
- PFL-3 (Release of personal health information) completed by the “care recipient,” i.e., the family member you’re providing care for (this is filed with their health care provider, so the provider can complete the PFL-4 form. Do not file form PFL-3 with your insurance carrier)
- PFL-4 (health care provider’s certification of care) completed by you and the health care provider treating your family member
See more details about supporting documentation and timing of your claim in
this caregiver claims roadmap here.
Military Exigency Leave
For leave as a result of a qualifying military leave event, you will need to submit the following:
- PFL-1 completed by both you and your employer
- A PFL-5 (Military qualifying event certification) completed by you and – if applicable – any third party
- Supporting documents evidencing the military member’s status (covered active duty, impending call/order to covered duty, or Rest and Recuperation document) and the need for leave (such as meeting announcement for informational military briefing; appointment with a school official, doctor, attorney or financial advisor; or a bill for services for the handling of legal or financial affairs)
See more details about supporting documentation and timing of your claim in
this military claims roadmap here.
Everything is clearly legible.
If our examiners can’t clearly read your handwriting, this may require our team to reach out for clarification, which in turn may delay the processing of your claim.
You’ve included any other supporting documentation that may be required for your specific claim.
All pieces are submitted together at the same time.
If you submit pieces of your claim in separate emails or under separate cover through the mail, each email would be like a separate, incomplete claim submission!
For example, if you haven’t gotten your child’s birth certificate yet, please don’t send what’s been completed so far and the birth certificate separately later. This will not help get your claim in line sooner and will actually have the opposite effect.
So, please make sure you send everything together at one time, regardless of submission method.
If you chose to submit via email, you can snap a picture of each page and attach multiple files to 1 email.
When submitting by email, your message is less than 10MB.
Only submit your claim through one method.
Please do not submit your claim multiple ways, like email and fax. This would log your claim twice and your claim would compete with itself. Pick one and done!
This is the best way to submit your initial claim. We advise you to go through this Checklist section before you upload your files.
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