Washington’s Paid Family Leave is Active

Washington’s paid family leave is now in effect, offering employees a financial safe harbor in the face of a qualifying medical event or military deployment.  With paid family leave, Washington employees can now not only take time off to care for family members, qualifying employees will receive weekly pay for their time away from work.  In the event of a family ailment, a worker may qualify to care for a spouse or domestic partner, child, parent or legal guardian, siblings, grandchildren, or grandparents. In offering this security, Washington is fostering a culture of caring and sustainability for families facing a medical crisis.  Employees will receive weekly pay totaling 90% of their regular salary. 

Most workers will qualify so long as they have worked a minimum of 820 hours per week for approximately a year.  It is not required that those hours be worked at the same employer. There are some exceptions for employees of federal agencies, who are employed on tribal land, or who are covered by union agreements.  Paid family leave works like an insurance program, requiring that a participant file a weekly claim to request payment for leave under the covered provisions. An employee may use paid leave at the same time as FMLA leave, thus obtaining important financial support during a time many previously had to forego any earnings.  This provision offers hope to individuals facing an ailment or helping a family member with a medical condition at a critical time for many. The laws broad terms enable families to care for families thus reducing costs to families who might otherwise have to choose paid care or to forgo assisting a family member so that they may remain working.  Bear in mind to plan accordingly, as excepting the arrival of a new child, there is a mandatory “waiting week” before the leave goes into effect.  

Similarly, employees who have family members in active military may use this leave to spend critical time with a military member leaving to or returning from duty.  The opportunity to utilize paid leave in these critical times allows families to cherish a loved one prior to deployment and welcome them home following a stressful period.  As with medical leave, the leave demonstrates values of family, support, and sustainability of work life balance in our state. Washington’s programs is one of the most comprehensive in the country, allowing employees peace of mind in times of transition and need.