VDI / SDI Comparison

California employees are covered by the Pepperdine University California Voluntary Disability Insurance ("Pepperdine VDI") Plan. This private plan replaces employees' participation in the California State Disability Insurance ("CA State") Plan.
As required by California law, the benefits provided under the Pepperdine VDI Plan are equal to or better than those offered by the standard state plan in all aspects. A detailed comparison of the two plans is provided in the table below.

	2026 Pepperdine VDI	2026 CA State Plan
Cost to Participants	For 2026, the employee contribution rate is 0.95% of earnings up to a maximum annual payroll deduction of $1,727.10	For 2026, 1.3% of earnings with no maximum annual payroll deduction
Maximum time to file a claim (from 1st compensable day)	60 days: Disability 60 days: Paid Family Leave	49 days: Disability 41 days: Paid Family Leave
Filing Process	Submit a claim online with Unum (Pepperdine-managed partner) at www.unum.com/claims or call 866-779-1054	Submit a claim online with the California Employment Development Department at edd.ca.gov or call 800-480-3287
Additional Resources	Pepperdine VDI Plan Document	CA SDI Disability DE 2515 CA SDI PFL DE 2511
Disability Insurance provides benefits to individuals who cannot work due to a serious illness, injury, or pregnancy.
Benefits Begin	8th day of disability	Same
Weekly Benefit Amount¹	70%¹ of gross earnings to $1,765 weekly maximum	Same
Maximum Benefit Amount	52 x applicable Weekly Benefit Amount Maximum Benefit Payable: $91,780	Same
Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides benefits to individuals who take time off work to: care for a seriously ill child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner, bond with a new child entering their life by birth, adoption, or foster care placement, or participate in a qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of the individual’s child, parent, spouse, or registered domestic partner in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Benefits Begin	No waiting period	Same
Weekly Benefit Amount¹	70%¹ of gross earnings to $1,765 weekly maximum	Same
Maximum Benefit Amount	8 x PFL Weekly Benefit Amount Maximum Benefit Payable: $14,120	Same

In accordance with the California Unemployment Insurance Code, employees who are participating in the Pepperdine VDI Plan for California have the right to discontinue coverage under this private plan:

Within ten (10) days following the effective date of any amendment to the plan, or
At the beginning of any calendar quarter.

If you opt out of the Pepperdine VDI Plan, you will be required to contribute to CA SDI, and you will be automatically enrolled in the State Plan.

To learn more about the Pepperdine VDI Plan,

Review the Pepperdine VDI FAQs.
Contact Human Resources at benefits@pepperdine.edu.

¹Employees who earned less than 70% of the state average quarterly wages during the highest earnings quarter in their Base Period will receive up to 90% of those earnings. When you report a claim to Unum, the Employment Development Department (EDD) will notify you in writing of the minimum weekly benefit amount you can receive. You will never receive less from VDI than you would have received under CA SDI.