The Oregon Paid Leave program provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave per year for family, medical, or safe leave.  Employees and employers started contributing to the insurance fund on January 1, 2023, with benefits beginning September 3, 2023.  

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for Oregon Paid Leave, employees must:

  • Work in Oregon
  • Have made at least $1,000 in the prior year
  • Have worked for their employer for at least 90 consecutive days

Types of Leave Covered

Oregon Paid Leave can be used for the following reasons:

Family Leave 

Leave to care for a new child, a sick family member, or a family member with a severe health condition.  Family members include the following:

  • Your spouse or domestic partner
  • Your child (biological, adopted, stepchild, or foster child), your spouse or domestic partner’s child, or the child’s spouse or domestic partner
  • Your parent (biological, adoptive, stepparent, foster parent, or legal guardian), the parent of your spouse or domestic partner, or your parent’s spouse or domestic partner
  • Your sibling or stepsibling or their spouse or domestic partner
  • Your grandparent or your grandparent’s spouse or domestic partner
  • Your grandchild or your grandchild’s spouse or domestic partner
  • Any person who you are connected to, like a family member

Medical Leave 

Leave for the employee’s serious health condition.  A serious health condition is an illness, injury, or physical or mental condition that:

  • Requires inpatient care
  • Poses an imminent danger of death or possibility of death in the near future
  • Requires constant or continuing care
  • Involves a period of incapacity
  • Involves multiple treatments
  • Consists of a period of disability due to pregnancy

Safe Leave 

Leave to escape domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking.

Notice to Employer

Employees must notify their employer when they apply for Oregon Paid Leave

  • 30-day notice – Employees must inform their employer at least 30 calendar days before starting their leave unless giving early notice is impossible.
  • 24-hour emergency notice – In an emergency, employees must tell their employer (this does not have to be in writing) the need to use Paid Leave within 24 hours of starting their leave. Then, employees must give written notice within three days of starting their leave.

Cost to Employees and Employers

Employers and employees share the cost of Oregon Paid Leave.  The 2023 total contribution rate is 1%.  Employees pay 60% of the contribution rate, and employers pay 40%.

How Benefits Are Calculated

The amount of money employees receive while on Oregon Paid Leave is determined by the Oregon state average weekly wage (Oregon SAWW).  Effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, the SAWW used to compute workers’ compensation benefits is $1,295.86.  

Eligible employees’ benefits are determined based on 65% of the Oregon SAWW.  Suppose the eligible employee’s average weekly wage is equal to or less than 65 percent of the Oregon SAWW.  In that case, the employee’s weekly benefit amount shall be 100% of the employee’s average weekly wage.

For example, a person making $15/hour working 40 hours per week has an average weekly wage of $600.  Because that is less than 65% of the SAWW (1298.86 x 65% = 844.26), the employee is eligible for 100% of their average weekly wage of $600.

Suppose the eligible employee’s average weekly wage exceeds 65% of the Oregon SAWW.  In that case, the employee’s weekly benefit amount is 65% of the average weekly wage plus 50% of the employee’s average weekly wage, greater than 65%.

A person making $25/hour working 40 hours per week has an average weekly wage of $1000.  This amount exceeds 65% of the Oregon SAWW ($844.26).  The calculation for benefits in this example is 65% of their weekly pay ($1000 x 65% = $650) plus 50% of the amount greater than 65% of their weekly pay ($1000 – $650 = $350, $350 x 50% = $175) for a total of $825.

Fortunately, Oregon Paid Leave provides a benefits calculator to help employees estimate this amount.

How Long Does It Take To Get Benefits

Employees can start applying for benefits on August 14, 2023.  Benefits will be paid out within 14 days of the application being approved.

How Much Oregon Paid Leave Is Available To Employees

Employees can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave in a 52-week period (starting from the day leave begins).  They can take a week or a single day off based on their serious health needs.

Employees may be able to take up to 2 additional weeks (up to 14 total weeks) if they are pregnant, have given birth, or have health needs because of childbirth.

Self-employed and Independent Contractors

Self-employed and independent contractors can choose to participate in Oregon Paid Leave.  To do so, they must:

  • Earn at least $1,000 in the prior year in self-employment or as an independent contractor
  • Pay a quarterly contribution to Oregon Paid Leave

The self-employed contribution rate in 2023 is 0.6% of their Oregon net income from self-employment (income after expenses), up to a maximum income of $132,900.

Self-employed and independent contractors participating in Oregon Paid Leave will receive the same benefits as other employees.

For more information about Oregon Paid Leave, please visit the Oregon Employment Department website: paidleave.oregon.gov.  To apply for benefits, go to frances.oregon.gov.

How Can We Help?

Companies need to know when a person is eligible for Oregon Paid Leave.  Time Equipment Company can set up dashboards to let them know when an employee has made at least $1,000 in the prior year with their current company and they are beyond the 90 consecutive days mark.

For more information about how we can help, contact Time Equipment Company at sales@timeequipment.com or 800-997-8463.