Paid Family and Medical Leave in Washington
Since January, workers in Washington State have begun applying for a new paid family and medical leave benefit that has been years in the works. The Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program finds its roots in the 2007 Family Leave Insurance Act. The legislation authorized the creation of a joint legislative task force to study the establishment of a family leave insurance program and provided a framework for such. While the law remained on the books, the program went unfunded and unimplemented due to budgetary constraints set into motion by the 2008 Great Recession. After several legislative postponements, the state was awarded a federal grant in 2015 to begin designing the program and final implementation legislation was passed in 2017. Premiums began being deducted from employee wages January 1, 2019, a year ahead of full program implementation.
Most Washington workers who have worked at least 820 hours in the last year qualify for paid family and medical leave. The program can be used by individuals who need time off to attend to personal serious health conditions or those of family members, to take care of a new baby or child, or to spend time with a military family member who is about to be deployed overseas or who is returning from deployment. Most eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid leave and will receive up to 90 percent of their weekly pay up to a maximum of $1,000 a week.
The demand for the program indeed proved to be strong. The Washington State Department of Employment Security, the agency in charge of administering the program, received over 30,000 applications in its first six weeks. The high volume of claims has extended the required time to process applications, up to ten weeks for many applicants.
Three months into the program launch, the paid family and medical leave program has been plunged into uncharted territory with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Employment Security Department had ramped up hiring in response to the initial demand for program benefits and continues to do so in light of increased applications for COVID-19 related unemployment and paid family and medical leave benefits. The Employment Security Department has created an FAQ for workers related to availability of leave due to COVID-19 illness and quarantine.
Here are links to statutes, regulations and more information on paid family and medical leave:
2020 legislative changes to the Paid Family Medical Leave law 2020 House Bill 2614
RCW 50A.05, Family and Medical Leave
WAC 192–500 and following, Paid Family and Medical Leave
Paidleave.wa.gov Washington’s official Paid Family and Medical Leave site
Washington Employer Paid Family and Medical Leave Toolkit
The Municipal Research and Services Center’s Family and Medical Leave information for local governments
COVID-19 Scenarios and Benefits Guide
Economic Opportunity Institute’s Paid Family and Medical Leave information
Economic Opportunity Institute’s A Guide to Paid Sick Days and Family and Medical Leave Insurance infographic
National Conference of State Legislatures’ State Family and Medical Leave Laws
Congressional Research Service Report Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States (SC)
