Does Oregon Offer Paid Time Off For Pregnancy?

Oregon has introduced Paid Leave Oregon, a new program that provides employees with paid leave for events that impact their families. The program offers up to 12 weeks of paid family bonding leave for eligible employees within a one-year period. This leaves employees free to take up to 12 weeks of paid medical, family, or safe leave per benefit year.

The Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) was amended in 2005 to provide unpaid protected family leave to reduce redundancies. Most employees in Oregon are eligible for Paid Leave Oregon, and those who made at least $1,000 the year before applying for paid leave may be eligible. The program supports people who are welcoming a new child through birth, adoption, foster care, or are ill or caring for sick family members.

However, few new moms in Oregon receive fully-paid leave, and access to paid leave is not available equally across populations. Paid Leave Oregon was passed into law in 2019 and provides employees easy access to paid leave benefits for events that impact their families. Employers are required to allow employees to apply for paid family leave as of September 3rd, 2023.

The Oregon Paid Leave Oregon program provides paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, serious illness, sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, bias, or stalking. Eligible employees may qualify for up to two additional weeks of Paid Leave Oregon for limitations relating to pregnancy, childbirth, or a serious health condition.

Why is paid leave in Oregon taking so long?

Incorrect information can delay benefits and require additional information. A letter may be sent to you in the U. S. mail, even if you set up email alerts. We use calendar quarters to determine your base year or alternate base year, which are three-month time frames defined yearly. You cannot choose whether to use your base year or alternate base year. Calendar quarters are January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December.

Is or PFML the same as Oregon paid leave?

Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave (OR PFML) is a state-run program that provides wage replacement benefits to eligible workers who need time off from work for medical, family, or safe leave reasons. The program began on January 1, 2023, and benefits will be payable starting September 3, 2023. Workers may be eligible for paid medical leave (PML) if they are unable to work due to non-work-related injuries or illnesses, paid family leave (PFL) to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with a new child, and Paid Safe Leave (PSL) to address medical or non-medical matters related to domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, or bias crimes.

Employers can participate in the state-run program or opt-out for a fully insured or self-funded equivalent plan. OR PFML coverage is job protected when a worker has been employed for 90 consecutive calendar days with their current employer before taking paid leave for qualifying reasons.

Can I take FMLA and Oregon paid leave at the same time?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FMLA) and Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) apply to employees, with each law affecting their entitlement. FMLA and PLO leave runs concurrently, and similar provisions apply for leave taken under both laws. Employees can use accrued and eligible leave accruals to replace wages during qualifying Paid Leave by the OED, known as “topping off”. This is available upon written request by the affected employee.

The OED adjudicated amount must be communicated promptly to the City, and the employee must notify the City of any changes to wage replacement benefits. Paid time off will only accrue on the funds paid by the City to supplement PLO benefits, and PLO benefits paid by the State will not accrue paid time off.

Is Paid Leave required by law in Oregon?

Oregon’s law categorizes workers into three types of leave: medical leave, family leave, and safe leave. Workers can take up to 12 weeks of leave per benefit year, with up to two additional weeks for limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. They can also take up to 14 weeks of leave for family members, including spouses, children, parents, sibling, grandchild, or grandparents.

The definition of family includes any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with a covered individual is equivalent to a family relationship. This allows workers to care for loved ones who may not have a legal or biological relationship.

How much paid time off do you get in Oregon?

Oregon implemented Paid Leave Oregon on January 1, 2023, allowing all employees, regardless of employer size, up to 12 weeks of paid time off. This law runs alongside the existing Oregon Sick Time Law and the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA), and employers must consider federal regulations like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to ensure full compliance with PTO laws. Employers are not required to pay employees, but must contribute to the state fund based on their business size. Employees and the rest contribute 60 percent of the total contribution rate, with the state contributing 40 percent if the employer has 25 or fewer employees.

Is paid leave changing in Oregon 2024?

On July 1, 2024, Oregon’s Paid Leave benefits and employer-provided paid time off (PTO) will be merged. Employees can use their accrued paid sick leave, vacation leave, or other PTO offered by their employer while receiving Paid Leave benefits. SB 1515 removed some overlap between Paid Leave and OFLA, specifically regarding qualifying life events. Employees cannot take Paid Leave and OFLA at the same time, and the types of qualifying events for OFLA are changing. Paid Leave qualifying life events remain the same.

Is Oregon getting paid maternity leave?

Paid Leave offers employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family, medical, or safe reasons, starting on the Sunday before their leave begins. Pregnant employees may take up to 2 more weeks for a total of 14 weeks. Employees can choose when and how to take the leave, and paid leave pays a percentage of wages during their leave. Paid leave protects an employee’s job and role if they have worked for the same employer for at least 90 consecutive days.

How much will I get paid on Oregon paid leave?

Benefit amounts are determined by the wages and income an employee earned in their base year before their leave. The maximum amount an employee will receive is 120 of the state average weekly wage, which is updated annually by the Oregon Employment Department. Paid Leave Oregon covers three types of leave: family, medical, and safe leave. The maximum amount is 120 of the state average weekly wage.

What is the FMLA in Oregon?

Oregon employees can take up to 12 weeks of leave per 12-month period for serious health conditions, bonding with a new child, or qualifying exigencies, as long as they meet eligibility requirements. Military caregiver leave can be taken up to 26 weeks per 12-month period, but it is a per-injury, per-service member entitlement. Employees can continue their health insurance while on leave at the same cost they must pay while working.

FMLA leave is unpaid, but employees may use their accrued paid leave during FMLA leave. After FMLA leave ends, employees are entitled to be reinstated to the same or equivalent position, with a few exceptions.

How to pay Oregon paid family leave?

Employers must withhold contributions from employees’ wages, paying 60 of the total contribution rate up to the social security wage index ($168, 600) for the year. They must pay contributions each quarter. Employers play a crucial role in Paid Leave Oregon, and the Paid Leave team is available to assist. To create an account in Frances Online, Oregon’s payroll reporting system, employers must have certain items ready.

Is paid leave in Oregon taxed?

It should be noted that the benefits provided by Paid Leave Oregon are subject to taxation, and that the relevant taxes will not be automatically deducted from the benefits in question.