At some point, everyone will need to take extended leave from work to deal with a serious health condition, care for a loved one, or bond with a new child.
Washington state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act makes it easier for working people to face those circumstances. PFML provides up to 12 weeks and, in some cases, up to 18 weeks of benefits for people recovering from a serious health condition or childbirth, caring for a loved one or a new child.
Closing the Job Protection Loophole:
Under Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law, nearly 50% of Washington workers who have worked enough hours to apply for PFML do not qualify for job protection. In fact, only 16% of the lowest wage earners qualify for job protection. Women, workers of color, and workers without postsecondary degrees are less likely to qualify for job-protected leave. Accessing paid leave could result in being fired and losing access to health care at a time when someone may need it the most.
The current law only provides job protection to a small group of Washingtonians workers whose company employs at least 50 employees in the state of Washington, have worked with that employer for at least one year, and have worked 1,250 hours in the past year.
In 2025, the Washington Work and Family Coalition will advocate to ensure that all workers eligible for PFML are guaranteed to return to work.
Strengthening Job Protections:
A proposal for the right to be reinstated when an employee takes Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) will be considered in the legislature this session. This will expand job protection and maintain benefits, including health care benefits, to all employees who have worked with their employer for at least 90 calendar days, meet the existing hours worked requirements, and experience a qualifying event with medical certification from a health care provider.
The proposed bill will run PFML job protection concurrently with the Family and Medical Leave Act. Additional program improvements proposed in this legislation include reducing the minimum required hours of missed work (from eight to four) for PFML. This reflects shorter shifts for part-time and service workers and allows workers to take leave in shorter increments, options that will give working people stronger self-determination.
Washington Work and Family Coalition 