Oregon passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave law which provides eligible employees paid leave for their own serious health condition (medical leave) or for family care (family leave). The law was postponed during COVID and will start January 1, 2023.
Oregon’s Paid Family and Medical Leave is an insurance program. Employees and employers will pay premiums each paycheck to fund the program. Employees will contribute 60% and employers will contribute 40% of the required contribution. Employers under 25 employees are not required to pay the 40% employer contribution. However, if an employer does pay the 40% employer contribution, they are eligible to receive assistance grants.
Paid leave contributions will go into a trust fund, and starting September 3, 2023 workers may begin using the benefits. Eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks in a benefit year to care for themselves or a family member, and up to two additional weeks for pregnancy, childbirth, or related circumstances. In some situations, up to 18 weeks may be taken in a benefit year, though four of those weeks may be unpaid.
Eligible employees will receive a weekly benefit payment. The amount of the payment will depend on the employee’s average weekly wages.
The act allows eligible employees to take time away from work to:
- Bond with a child during the first year after birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
- Care of a family member who has a serious health condition.
- Take medical leave for an employee’s own serious health condition.
- Take safe leave for an employee experiencing issues related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.
Your payroll company will help get the PFMLI contributions set up for January 1, 2023.
If you have any questions, please let us know.