Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML)

Washington's Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program provides up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave for a worker's own serious health condition, up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for caregiving or bonding, and up to 16 weeks combined in a single year (or 18 weeks if experiencing a serious health condition related to pregnancy). Benefits are funded through shared premiums paid by both employers and employees.

To be eligible for benefits, a worker must have worked at least 820 hours in Washington during the qualifying period. The program covers nearly all employees regardless of employer size. The maximum weekly benefit for 2026 is $1,647. The benefit formula pays 90% of your average weekly wage up to 50% of the state average weekly wage (SAWW), plus 50% of any amount above that threshold. The SAWW for 2026 is $1,830, so the 50% threshold is $915. There is a 7-day waiting period before benefits begin, except for bonding leave and postnatal leave, which have no waiting period. The premium rate for 2026 is 1.13% of wages, with approximately 71.43% paid by employees and 28.57% paid by employers. Employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from the employer share but must still withhold and remit employee contributions. Self-employed individuals can opt in.

Covered family members include your spouse or domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, parent-in-law, or any individual who regularly resides in your home or with whom you have a relationship creating an expectation of care.

HB 1213, signed May 17, 2025, significantly expanded job protection starting January 1, 2026. The employer size threshold for job protection dropped from 50 to 25 employees (and drops further to 15 in 2027 and 8 in 2028). The previous 1,250 hours-worked requirement was eliminated; workers now qualify after 180 calendar days of employment. Even without job protection eligibility, you can still receive PFML wage replacement benefits. Your employer must maintain your group health insurance during PFML leave on the same terms as if you were still working.

Washington also enforces the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), which prohibits disability discrimination, including mental health conditions, for employers with 8 or more employees. The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) investigates complaints. Washington's mental health parity law further ensures equal insurance coverage for mental health services.