Washington State Paid Family and Medical Leave Information

MEMO: PFML Announcement 10.28.19 PFML Announcement 10.28.19

In January 2019, WA State began collecting premiums from employee wages to fund the new WA Paid Family & Medical Leave taking effect January 1, 2020. Washington’s Employment Security Division manages this new program, which provides employee with partial wage replacement while away from work due to medical and birth related leaves. We need your help to communicate information about this new leave benefit to all employees.

  • Please print the two-sided handout titled “When life happens, you can be there to care”, included with this memo and provide a copy to each of your employees.
  • Please print the single-sided poster included with this memo and post with other required employment posters at your location.

Starting in 2020, Washington will be the fifth state in the nation to offer paid family and medical leave benefits. This benefit offers partially paid leave to care for yourself or a loved one in times of serious illness or injury, to bond with a new child joining your home through birth, adoption or foster placement, and for certain military-connected events if you have a family member in active duty service.

Starting with your first paycheck of 2019, you might notice a new deduction was taken out. For example, if your pre-tax wages are $50,000 per year, you will pay up to about $2.44 each week. Employers contribute to this program too, so we’re in this together. In 2020, you will be able to apply for leave when you experience a qualifying event and have worked 820 hours (about 16 hours a week, on average) in the year leading up to your date of leave. This isn’t like paid sick leave; you will file your claim with the Employment Security Department (ESD), and your payment will come from ESD.

Typically, you’ll have access to up to 12 weeks of paid leave. You can learn more by reading the attached handout, When life happens you can be there for care, or by visiting www.paidleave.wa.gov/workers.

Do you have questions? Ask your questions directly to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program at paidleave@esd.wa.gov.

Kind regards,

Lilly McGarry, SHRM-CP | Archdiocese of Seattle | Assistant Director of Human Resources

P: 206.382.4578 – F: 206.382.4267| lilly.mcgarry@seattlearch.org