Skip to content
English
Contact us
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

How does Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML) work?

Here's how Washington's paid leave benefits can support you

Quick answer
 WA PFML applies to nearly all public and private employers in Washington. It provides up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement per year for the employee's own medical leave or family leave (up to 16 weeks combined, or 18 weeks for pregnancy complications), plus job protection for employees who meet additional eligibility requirements. Major changes took effect January 1, 2026.

Who this applies to / Prerequisites

  • For wage replacement: the employee's job must be based in Washington, and they must have worked at least 820 hours during the base period (not necessarily for a single employer). Employees of employers using private plans also need 340 hours worked in the previous 12 months for their current employer.
  • For job protection: the employee must meet the wage replacement requirements above, work for an employer with 25+ total employees in Washington, and have 180 days of tenure with their current employer.

Key facts

  1. Medical leave: Up to 12 weeks per year for the employee's own serious health condition, including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions. An additional 2 weeks (14 weeks total) is available for a serious health condition with pregnancy resulting in incapacity.
  2. Family leave: Up to 12 weeks per year for caring for a family member with a serious health condition, including pregnancy; the birth of a child and bonding within a year of birth; the placement of a child for adoption or foster care and bonding within a year of placement; or a qualifying military exigency.
  3. Bereavement leave is available as part of the 12 weeks of family leave, covering the 7 calendar days following the death of the employee's child, if the employee would have qualified for medical or family leave following the child's birth.
  4. WA PFML defines "family member" as a child, grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse, or anyone who regularly resides in the employee's home or where the relationship creates an expectation of care and the individual depends on the employee.
  5. Eligible employees can take up to 16 weeks of combined medical and family leave per year, or up to 18 weeks with a pregnancy complication resulting in incapacity.
  6. Employees receive up to 90% of their weekly pay. For 2026, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,647.
  7. The program is funded through premiums paid by both employers and employees, with some exceptions for smaller employers.
  8. Leave can be used intermittently, but as of January 1, 2026, employees must claim at least 4 consecutive hours of leave per week.
  9. For medical leave (own condition) or family leave to care for a family member, the first week of approved leave is an unpaid waiting period, though employees must still file a weekly claim during it. There is no waiting period for parental bonding leave, medical leave taken during the postnatal period, military exigency, or child bereavement leave.
  10. Employers must provide advance written notice to employees of their job restoration rights when WA PFML benefits are projected to end.
  11. WA PFML runs concurrently with FMLA when applicable. As of January 1, 2026, employers can choose to count unpaid FMLA time toward WA PFML job protection ("drain down" the entitlement) during periods when the employee is eligible for WA PFML benefits but doesn't apply for or receive them, provided the employer gives proper written notice.

What if it doesn't work

  • I'm not sure if I qualify for job protection: This requires meeting wage replacement eligibility, working for an employer with 25+ WA employees, and having 180 days of tenure — contact your Leave Success Manager to confirm.
  • I have a pregnancy complication: You may be eligible for up to 14 weeks of medical leave and up to 18 weeks combined, instead of the standard amounts.
  • I'm not being paid for my first week of leave: This is expected for medical or family caregiving leave — it's an unpaid waiting period, but you still need to file a weekly claim.
  • If none of these apply, contact your Leave Success Manager (employees) or Customer Success Manager (HR teams).

Limits and exceptions

  • Combined medical and family leave is capped at 16 weeks per year (18 weeks for pregnancy complications with incapacity).
  • Job protection requires all three conditions: wage replacement eligibility, employer size (25+ WA employees), and 180 days tenure — meeting only some of these means an employee may receive pay without job protection.
  • Intermittent leave must be claimed in increments of at least 4 consecutive hours per week, as of January 1, 2026.
  • The 1-week unpaid waiting period does not apply to parental bonding leave, postnatal medical leave, military exigency leave, or child bereavement leave.

Related questions

  • What other Washington leave laws does Tilt support?
  • Does Tilt support Washington's paid sick and safe time laws?