Paid family and medical leave

More than four years since the passage of Oregon’s Paid Family Medical Leave Act into law, paid leave benefits will finally be available to Oregon employees starting September 3, 2023.  Applications for benefits, toolkits and quick start guides are all now available online at paidleave.oregon.gov.  Here is what employers need to know:

Benefits

Any

Signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 9, 2023 and effective January 1, 2024, new legislation allows certain interested parties to have access to information from the Washington Security Department, the state agency who administers the paid family and medical leave program, regarding an employee’s leave including:

  • Requested duration
  • New laws in Seattle and Washington State allow certain gig workers greater access to traditional employee benefits.

    Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Leave

    Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed into law the App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance on March 29, 2023. Among other things, this law requires that app-based workers accrue at least

    Beginning on January 1, 2023, the Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave Program’s “total premium” rate rose to 0.8% from 0.6%.  This rate is recalculated annually in October, based on contributions from premiums and benefits paid during the previous year. 

    As was true in previous years, employers must report to the Washington Employment Security Department

    Starting January 1, 2023, Colorado employers must comply with Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Act, which requires nearly all employers and all employees to contribute to the state’s paid family and medical leave program.

    FAMLI Benefits for Colorado Employees

    Colorado’s FAMLI program will provide Colorado employees with up to twelve weeks of paid

    The Paid Leave Oregon program commences on January 1, 2023. As an initial step, most Oregon employers must alert employees about the program and begin paying into the state insurance plan. The law requires employers post the Oregon Employment Department’s model notice at the worksite and distribute the same notice to remote workers.

    Additionally, for

    A provision in the enacted state budget for fiscal year 2023 would have amended the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) to provide employers and employees more flexibility to use other accrued benefits to supplement paid benefits received from the state. The governor initially returned the legislation to the legislature with a recommendation,