Workers in Washington have been paying into the state's Family and Medical Leave fund through payroll deductions for the past year. Now, beginning Jan. 2, 2020,they'll be able to use the benefits.
Employees in Washington state who qualify will be able to receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave to stay home with a newborn or a foster or adopted child. They'll also be able to receive paid leave or to care for a spouse, domestic partner or family member with a serious illness. And the law lets workers receive paid time off to be with a family member who's active duty military and is home from a deployment overseas.
Washington's law is among the most generous in the country. Workers receive 90 percent of their pay up to $1,000 a week. Federal law has long required that workers be allowed to take 12 weeks of family and medical leave, but there's no requirement that it be paid. Washington joins a handful of states, including California and New York, now offering paid leave.
