paid family leave

Starting in January, the Paid Family and Medical Leave program's premium rate will go up as the increasingly popular state program remains under financial pressure.

The Employment Security Department anticipates 35% growth for the program over the next two years, as average call wait times have stretched to nearly 29 minutes.

The Legislature pumped $200 million into it last year. But projections show looming deficit risks as the number of people tapping the benefit grows.

Washington state's paid family leave program is projected to hit a deficit by the end of the year. A report by a consulting firm is recommending an increase in the premiums on workers' wages that fund the program to keep the program solvent moving forward.

Washington state’s Paid Family & Medical Leave program could hit a deficit as early as March, and there are concerns about long-term solvency following a significant increase in demand for the benefit that launched in 2020.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, who was elected in 1992 as a self-described “mom in tennis shoes,” has been fighting for paid family and medical leave for decades. For much of this year, she appeared to be winning. So its defeat from a social spending package Thursday stung Murray and other veteran female lawmakers.

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,…

Workers might see a little more coming out of their paychecks starting Jan. 1, as employers begin collecting premiums for Washington's new paid family and…

Beginning in 2020, workers in Washington will be eligible for paid family and medical leave through a new state program funded by employee and employer...

The idea of giving workers paid time off to care for a new baby or an elderly parent has long been a priority of the left. But now the idea is gaining...