HR Badge #09: Leaves: Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA)-HR Badge #9

HR Badge #9 - PowerPoint

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This document is a training overview for school-district HR staff on Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA). It explains when employees qualify, what notices are required, how pay and benefits work during leave, and what return-to-work rights apply.<br /><br />Employees are eligible for PFMLA if they have worked at least 820 hours in Washington during the applicable “qualifying period” (defined by prior calendar quarters). PFMLA covers (1) family leave to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or address certain military deployment-related needs, and (2) medical leave for the employee’s own serious health condition. The document provides broad definitions of “child,” “family member,” and related terms, and directs readers to state law for the detailed definition of “serious health condition.”<br /><br />Leave amounts include up to 12 weeks of paid family or medical leave, up to 16 weeks combined, and up to 2 additional weeks for pregnancy complications. Employees must generally take at least eight consecutive hours in a week, and a seven-day waiting period applies except for birth/placement and qualifying exigencies.<br /><br />Employer obligations include posting a standard ESD notice and providing certain written notices. Employees must give 30 days’ written notice for foreseeable leave (or as soon as practicable). The Employment Security Department (ESD) decides eligibility and notifies the district, allowing the district to respond.<br /><br />ESD pays wage-replacement benefits; districts do not pay unless they offer “supplemental benefits” (e.g., designated paid sick leave to “fill the gap”), which affects whether payments are reported as wages. Health benefits continuation generally depends on FMLA overlap. Job restoration rights upon return depend on FMLA-like thresholds (50+ employees, 12 months’ employment, and 1,250 hours), with limited exceptions for highly paid key employees and required notice procedures.

Keywords

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waiting period seven days notice requirements

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