Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave is a state insurance program that replaces most of your wages when you take time off for your own serious health condition, to bond with a new child, to care for a family member, or for certain military-related reasons. Most workers receive up to 90 percent of their average weekly wage, capped at $1,647 per week in 2026, for up to 12 weeks of family leave or 12 weeks of medical leave in a claim year. Nearly every employer in the state participates, and starting January 1, 2026, workers at employers with 25 or more employees also get their jobs protected while on approved leave.1Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. How Paid Leave Works
Who Qualifies
You qualify if you worked at least 820 hours in Washington during the qualifying period. That period is generally the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you apply; if you don’t meet the threshold under that window, the state also looks at the last four completed calendar quarters.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 50A.05 – Definitions Hours from multiple Washington employers count together, so part-time workers and people who changed jobs can still reach 820.
Employer size does not affect your eligibility. Every employer in the state is in the program, though smaller businesses follow different premium rules.3Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Small Businesses: 150 Employees or Fewer
Self-employed people and members of federally recognized tribes aren’t automatically covered, but they can opt in. Opting in commits you for an initial three-year period, during which you pay the employee share of premiums and report your earnings every quarter. After that, coverage renews annually unless you withdraw within a 30-day window.4Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Elective Coverage Opt In
What You Can Take Leave For
The program covers three categories. Medical leave is for your own serious health condition, including recovery from surgery, a chronic illness flare-up, or inpatient treatment. Family leave covers bonding with a new child by birth, adoption, or foster placement during the first 12 months, or caring for a family member with a serious health condition. Military exigency leave is available when a family member is called to active duty or needs help with deployment-related arrangements.5Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Find Out How Paid Leave Works
Washington’s definition of “family member” is broad. It includes your spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild, and it extends to people who depend on you for care even if you aren’t related by blood or marriage.5Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Find Out How Paid Leave Works
Bereavement Leave for the Loss of a Child
If you lose a child, you may qualify for seven days of paid family leave. This applies if you would have been eligible for bonding leave, prenatal or postnatal medical leave, or if you had a child under 18 placed in your home through adoption or foster care. The waiting week does not apply. The child’s death must have occurred on or after June 9, 2022, and this benefit does not extend to the loss of other family members.6Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. New Parents
How Many Weeks You Can Take
You can take up to 12 weeks of family leave or 12 weeks of medical leave within a single claim year, which is the 52-week period starting from your first day of approved leave. If you need both types during the same claim year, the combined total can reach 16 weeks. Birth parents who experience pregnancy-related complications like bed rest can receive an additional two weeks, bringing the potential maximum to 18 weeks.7Washington State Paid Family and Medical Leave. Parents’ Guide to Paid Family and Medical Leave
How Much You’ll Be Paid
Most workers receive up to 90 percent of their average weekly wage, with lower earners replacing a higher share of their income and higher earners replacing a smaller percentage above a certain threshold. The maximum weekly benefit for 2026 is $1,647, updated annually based on the state average weekly wage.1Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. How Paid Leave Works Payments arrive by direct deposit or a state-issued debit card after you file your weekly claims.
What Comes Out of Your Paycheck
The program is funded by a payroll premium shared between you and your employer. Starting January 1, 2026, the total premium is 1.13 percent of gross wages. Employees pay 71.43 percent of that total; employers pay the remaining 28.57 percent.8Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Updates Businesses with fewer than 50 employees don’t owe the employer portion but still collect and remit the employee share.3Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Small Businesses: 150 Employees or Fewer
Job Protection
The job-protection rules changed significantly in 2026. Starting January 1, 2026, if you work for an employer with 25 or more employees and have been there for at least 180 calendar days (about six months), your job is protected while you’re on approved Paid Leave. Your employer must restore you to the same position or an equivalent one with the same pay, benefits, and working conditions. You cannot be fired, demoted, or penalized for taking approved leave.9Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Job Protection for Employees
The employer-size threshold shrinks over the next two years. In 2027 it drops to 15 or more employees, and in 2028 it drops to eight or more.10Washington State Legislature. RCW 50A.35.010 – Employment Protection If you work for a smaller employer right now, the state program still pays your benefits, but your position isn’t legally protected under state Paid Leave rules until the threshold reaches your workplace.
How This Interacts With Federal FMLA
Federal FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year, but only to employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours over 12 months for an employer with 50 or more employees within 75 miles.11U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet: The Family and Medical Leave Act Many Washington workers qualify for both. Starting in 2026, your employer may count job-protected leave taken under federal FMLA against your state Paid Leave job protection. If they do, they must give you written notice within five business days explaining how much protected time you have left.9Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Job Protection for Employees Federal FMLA also requires your employer to maintain your group health insurance during leave as if you were still working.
Notice and Medical Certification
For foreseeable events like a scheduled surgery or an expected birth, give your employer written notice at least 30 days in advance. If the need for leave is unexpected, notify your employer as soon as you reasonably can.12Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave. Notifying Your Employer About Taking Leave
For medical leave or family caregiving leave, your healthcare provider must complete the Certification of a Serious Health Condition form, confirming the medical necessity of the leave and its expected duration. Your application cannot be approved without it, so get this done before you file.13Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave. Certification of Serious Health Condition Form For bonding leave, you’ll submit proof of birth or official placement documents instead.
How to File a Claim
You apply through the state’s online portal using a SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account to verify your identity.14Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave. Log In Have your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, your planned leave dates, and your completed medical certification ready.
After approval, you’ll have a one-week waiting period during which no benefits are paid. The waiting week is the first approved week you claim, and you can use employer-provided paid time off during that week without affecting your Paid Leave benefits.15Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. File Your Weekly Claim The waiting week does not apply to postnatal leave, bonding leave, or military exigency leave.5Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Find Out How Paid Leave Works
Once leave starts, file a weekly claim for every week you’re out. These confirm you’re still on leave and haven’t received disqualifying benefits like workers’ compensation. Filing false information or failing to report work hours can lead to an overpayment determination, and the state can require you to repay benefits plus assessed penalties.
Using PTO Alongside Paid Leave
Your employer cannot require you to exhaust your PTO, sick leave, or other accrued time off before you start using Paid Family and Medical Leave.1Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. How Paid Leave Works Employers can offer supplemental benefits on top of the state benefit, like topping off your state payment so you receive closer to your full salary, or providing additional weeks of time off.16Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Your Role and Responsibilities If your employer offers something like this, ask whether accepting the supplemental pay changes what you receive from the state.
If Your Claim Is Denied
You have 30 days from the date on the denial notice to file an appeal.17Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave. Disputes and Appeals That deadline is firm. Common reasons for denial include insufficient hours in the qualifying period, missing medical certification, or documentation errors. If the problem is paperwork, fixing it and resubmitting is often faster than a formal appeal.