The Oregon Senate passed a bill recently to provide Paid Family and Medical Leave to Oregon employees. The bill was sent to the Governor and she has indicated she will sign it into law. Once signed into law, Paid Family Medical Leave will provide up to 12 weeks of paid, protected leave to Oregon employees for their own or a covered family members’ health condition or to address a domestic violence situation. Certain situations will allow a combined total of 16 or 18 weeks of leave when Paid Family Leave runs concurrently with OFLA or in the case of complications due to pregnancy.
Following are some of the main provisions of the bill:
- Applies to all OR employers regardless of size
- Quarterly premium payments and reporting will begin in 2022 and will be based on an employee’s wages not to exceed 1% up to a maximum of $132,900 of wages
- Employees will pay 60% of the premium through a payroll deduction and employers will pay 40%
- Employers with less than 25 employees will not be required to pay their share of the premium
- Paid leave will provide partial to full wage replacement for employees depending on their income beginning in 2023
- For small employers (<25 employees), upon returning from leave if the employee’s position no longer exists based on business necessity, the employer may restore the employee to a different position with similar job duties and with the same benefits and pay.
We will continue to monitor and share developments on the new Paid Leave as they are publicized.