#Washington state paid family leave how to
#Washington state paid family leave update

Paid Family and Medical Leave is for times when something major keeps employees away from work. How Does the Paid Family and Medical Leave Work with Paid Sick Days or Time-loss?

#Washington state paid family leave update

There’s also mixed information from ESD as to whether small employers should contribute premium - Ask Approach is checking on this and will update you in a future post. With “all available resources” focused on dealing with the backlog of employee claims, it’s easy to assume that employer reimbursements may be pushed back even further. However, the Employment Security Department (ESD) website says these grants aren’t available yet, so you’ll have to apply retroactively at a later date.

Up to $3,000 to cover the cost of hiring a temporary worker for 7 days or more while an employee is on leave.

$1,000 for significant wage-related costs that result from an employee being on paid leave.

Luckily, the program also includes grants to help your company cover the gap.Įach time an employee uses the program (up to 10 times per year), you may apply for:

#Washington state paid family leave how to

If you’re a small employer (150 employees or less), you may be wondering how to cope with the sudden departure of an employee for several weeks. The employer will receive a letter once the application is approved or denied. The letter will include the date the employee applied for Paid Leave, expected start and end dates of the Paid Leave, and the date the employee provided notice to the employer. They are required to give their employer(s) 30 days notice for planned events, but unplanned events are simply “as soon as possible.” Any form of written message – even a text – counts as notice.

However, now is the time that employers throughout the state will begin to see how this program actually works when an employee needs to take leave.Įmployees apply with the state, not with their employer, when they need to take leave under the program. So, nothing much changed in day-to-day procedures on Jan 1. What’s Changed with Washington Paid Family and Medical LeaveĬhances are you have been collecting premiums on behalf of your employees for more than a year now. The program is off to a roaring start, as the state has received more than three times the amount of applications than expected. These payments are funded by payroll deductions and employer contributions that began in 2019. Anyone working 820 hours in a year (about 40% of a full-time, 40-hour week job) can now take leave to care for a baby or family member, with up to 90% of regular pay covered by the state of Washington. Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave system took effect on Jan 1, 2020.