Oregon Becomes the 9th State to Have Paid Leave
Awesome news! In 2019 Oregon passed a law for PAID family and medical leave! Benefits began on September 3, 2023, making Oregon the ninth state to have a fully implemented paid family and medical leave law. Check out A Better Balance if you want to know about parental leave rights in other states.
This law, known as Paid Leave Oregon, is a comprehensive program designed to support employees as they balance work and family commitments without fear of job loss or financial distress. It also provides grants to smaller employers to help cover wage-related costs if an employee goes on leave.
Here are a few fast facts about Paid Leave Oregon:
Eligibility
Almost every employee is covered by the law – both full-time and part-time, as well as people working more than one job. You only need to have earned at least $1,000 within the year before applying for the paid leave and have worked with the same employer for at least 90 days to qualify.
Federal government employees are considered ineligible.
If you’re self-employed or work as an individual contractor, you’re not automatically covered; however, you can apply for coverage.
Benefits
Under Paid Leave Oregon, you can receive up to 12 weeks of paid time off in a 52-week period from when the paid leave begins for four general situations, including:
- Childbirth, adoption, or fostering
- Recovering from a personal serious health condition
- Caring for a family member with a serious health condition
- Safe leave for domestic violence, stalking, assault, or harassment.
Under Paid Leave Oregon, your family members are any person you are connected to like a family member, including:
- Your parent, whether they’re biological, adoptive, foster, stepparent, or grandparent.
- Your siblings and stepsiblings, as well as, their spouses or partners
- Your child, whether they’re biological, adopted, fostered, or a stepchild
- Your child’s spouse or domestic partner
- Your spouse or domestic partner, as well as, their child, parents, or grandparents
And pregnant people can get an extra two weeks, rounding their total paid leave up to 14 weeks in a 52 week period.
Implication for Employers
What do you need to do to comply with Paid Leave Oregon as a business owner?
Paid Leave Oregon program will be funded through a payroll tax, with both employers and employees contributing. So, your primary responsibility as an employer regarding this is to manage and remit payroll deductions, especially if you’re using a third-party payroll system. The government will be in charge of disbursing the benefits.
Aside from managing your payroll, you also need to update your Human Resource policies and train your management teams to prepare for this law’s implementation. As mentioned earlier, if you have less than 25 employees, you can apply for government assistance to cover wage-related costs if one of your workers goes on leave.
Paid Leave Oregon is a massive step toward creating a better supports for work-life integration among Oregon’s workers. It’s something you need to understand, whether you’re an employee or an employer.
Thus, I invite you to attend “Estate Planning and Paid Leave Oregon,” a two-hour event I’m holding with Attorney Michelle-Sharri Kruss. This in-person event is happening at Keller Williams Realty Portland Premiere on September 21, 2023. Hop on this page to learn more.
I’ll see you at the talk!
