Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave: Employee FAQ

Premium collections began January 2019 and Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits have been available since Jan. 1, 2020.

To qualify for Paid Family and Medical Leave, you must work 820 hours or more in the qualifying period. The qualifying period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters starting from the day you intend to take leave. 

This benefit cannot be taken without a qualifying event. Leave events can be either Family or Medical.

Family Leave

• Care and bond after a baby’s birth or the placement of a child younger than 18
• Care for a family member experiencing an illness or medical event
• Certain military-connected events

Medical Leave

• Care for yourself in relation to an illness or medical event

If you are eligible, you're entitled to take up to 12 weeks (18 weeks in limited special circumstances) of paid leave. Washington's law includes partial wage replacement, and your benefits will depend on how much you earn in a typical week. 

Generally, yes. Nearly everyone who works in Washington will participate in the program. Exceptions include workers who are:

• Federal employees.
• Employed by a federally recognized tribe.
• Employees subject to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was in existence on or before Oct. 19, 2017.
• Self-employed. Note: Self-employed people may opt in to gain access to the benefit.
• Employees who are covered by an employer's voluntary plan (which has been approved by the state.)

Most employers are required to withhold premiums from their employee's paychecks, and many employers pay into the program, too. 

As an example, an employee has earned $2,500 gross pay in a single pay period. The premium is 0.4% in 2019.

Total Premium Calculation

$2,500 x .004  = $10.

In this example, the total premium would be $10.

The Employee Portion

Family Leave: $10 x .3333 = $3.33

Medical Leave: $10 x .3000 = $3.00

The Employer Portion

Medical Leave: $10 x .3667 = $3.67

In this example, the employee would have $6.33 ($3.33 + $3.00) withheld from their paycheck. The employer would remit employee and employer portions and quarterly to the Employment Security Department.

If the employer had fewer than 50 employees, they would not be required to contribute the employer part of the premium. They are still required to collect and remit the employee part, as well as fulfill the reporting requirements of the program.