Paid Family and Medical Leave

Employees who have worked 820 hours in the qualifying period (equal to 16 hours a week for a year) will be able to apply to take paid medical leave or paid family leave. The 820 hours are cumulative, regardless of the number of employer os jobs someone has during a year. All paid work over the course of the year counts toward the 820 hours, including part-time, seasonal, and temporary work.

When approved by the ESD, you will receive a portion of your average weekly pay. The benefit is generally up to 90 percent of your weekly wage, with a maximum of $1,647 in 2026. You will be paid by the Employment Security Department rather than your employer. This benefit cannot be taken without a qualifying event. Leave events include the following:

Medical Leave

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

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
  • Family members include: Spouse (including registered domestic partner), children (including step and foster), parents (including in-law and loco parentis), siblings, grandchildren and grandparents.
• Certain military-connected events

Where You Work Matters

Please note: If your work is not “localized” (you do not work) in the state of Washington, you may not be eligible for PFML benefits. Your Work (Primary) Address field in the Contact section of Workday governs your primary work location for PFML deductions/reporting.

The linked ESD PFML Localization Test Flow Chart is for illustration purposes only. Please contact ESD for specific information and eligibility rules. If you are localized in a state other than the state of Washington and your home location/state has a paid leave program, you may be eligible for benefits through the associated program. As of January 2023 the following jurisdiction also have paid leave programs: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC.

Typically, up to 12 weeks of paid leave. If workers experience multiple events in a given year, they may be eligible to receive up to 16 weeks, or up to 18 weeks if the employee experiences a serious health condition with a pregnancy that results in incapacity.

Benefits are noted to be a percentage of the employee’s average weekly pay. The benefit wage replacement is up to 90% of weekly wage with a minimum of $100 per week and a maximum of $1,647 per week. Calculate your benefits with ESD here: estimate your weekly pay.

Employees will have the option of receiving their benefits in the form of direct deposit or a prepaid debit card.

PFML is a statewide program and does not replace the Federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Supplemental Benefits

Faculty, Administrative Professional, and Civil Service employees, under Title 50A RCW, may use ONLY annual leave, sick leave, personal holiday, or compensatory time as a supplemental benefit during a period when the employee is receiving PFML benefits. Bargaining Unit employees are to refer to their collective bargaining agreement.

Supplemental benefit tips

• Employees are responsible for identifying on their Workday absence calendar the dates they are choosing to utilize their WSU paid leave accruals as a PFML supplement by including PFML-Supplemental in the identifying tag.
• If utilizing paid leave as a supplemental benefit, do not include the paid time on the weekly PFML claim, as doing so will reduce the weekly benefit amount.
• If the employee chooses not to utilize their WSU paid leave accruals to supplement their PFML benefit, they are to report it as paid time on the weekly PFML benefit claim. The employee’s PFML benefit amount will be prorated by the non-supplemental benefits they receive from WSU.  It is only when an employee identifies their time off as supplemental PFML that it will not reduce the PFML payment. The employee would include only PFML in the identifying tag.

Employees can apply for benefits through the ESD online Worker login or on paper. Filing a claim for PFML benefits with the ESD is a separate process from filing for a medical leave of absence from WSU. Employees applying for a leave of absence from their appointment with WSU continue to follow the processes outlined in UPPM 60.56 for Faculty and Administrative Professionals or UPPM 60.57 for Civil Service and on the Medical Leave page.

After applying for PFML benefits, the ESD will review hours worked in the state of Washington to confirm eligibility. There is a seven (7) day waiting period before an employee may be eligible for PFML benefits, for all types of leave except parental bonding, medical leave taken during the “postnatal period” and military exigency. Once the ESD approves the claim, individuals will submit weekly claims to the ESD for the paid benefit.

In Workday: The ESD will notify HRS of PFML designations. Employees who have applied and are approved for the PFML Leave of Absence (LOA), will see the approved LOA “designation” on their Absence Calendar for the duration of the LOA, whether it be needed on a full-time part-time or intermittent time off basis. This designation allows a person on the designated leave(s) to have access to and utilize time offs or supplemental benefits specific to that LOA designation. Review the Workday reference guide Employee Request a Leave of Absence for time off entry when on a LOA.

If employees know about the leave before it happens, the employee will need to give the University written notice at least thirty (30) days in advance. Examples include: expected birth, placement of a child, or planned medical treatment or surgery. If need for leave is unforeseeable and when thirty (30) days notice is not possible, employees are to provide the University written notice as soon as is practicable. Examples include: a medical emergency, sudden illness or injury. Additionally, the employee must inform the University as soon as is practicable if dates of the scheduled leave change, are extended, or were initially unknown. WAC 192-600-005

Notifications and employee application for University medical leaves of absence from their appointment with WSU continue to follow the processes outlined on the Medical Leave website. An employee may submit the medical documentation supplied to the ESD for PFML benefits to WSU in the application for medical leave from WSU