Washington has an established paid family and medical leave program in place.

• Eligible employees apply for paid leave through the state’s Employment Security Division, unless their employer has already adopted an approved voluntary plan.

Generally, employees working in the state may take up to 12 weeks of paid leave annually for family or medical reasons.

• For employees taking leave to recover from a serious illness or injury or to take care of a family member with a serious health condition, the amount of paid leave available will be determined by their healthcare provider and based on the amount of time that is considered medically necessary.

• Employees taking leave to bond with a new baby or child are automatically eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave.

• Washington workers may qualify for up to 16 weeks of paid leave if they have more than one qualifying event, i.e., giving birth to a baby and taking leave to bond with their new child or if they have a personal medical event and a family caregiving event in the same year such as recovering from surgery and caring for an ill family member.

• In a more extreme scenario, such as if someone experiences a condition during pregnancy or birth that results in their incapacity, that individual may be eligible for up to 18 weeks of paid leave.

Federal employees, self-employed individuals, and employees of a tribally-owned business located on tribal land are not eligible.

Workers who were previously excluded from Washington Paid Leave due to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) became eligible for the program effective January 1, 2024.