Oregon Passes Inclusive Paid Leave Law

Statement from Ellen Bravo and Wendy Chun-Hoon, Co-Directors, Family Values @ Work on the passage of paid family and medical leave in Oregon

“The Family Values @ Work network celebrates the resounding win on paid family and medical leave in Oregon. Both chambers in the Oregon state legislature have now passed the most inclusive paid family and medical leave program in the nation and the bill is going to Governor Kate Brown, who has been a supporter and will sign. We applaud Family Forward Oregon, and all their coalition partners in Time to Care Oregon, for their persistence in the long fight to ensure all Oregonians can give or receive the care they need without risking their ability to pay the bills.

We’re thrilled that Oregon’s coalition has passed such an effective paid leave program, with 100% wage replacement for the lowest-wage workers, job protection for all leave-takers, and an inclusive definition of family. They won bipartisan support, not by asking what they needed to give up, but by making the strongest possible case on how paid leave will benefit young children and seniors, increase workforce attachment and lower turnover costs, strengthen individual health and family security.

Oregon represents the 9th win – 8 states and the District of Columbia — ensuring workers can be there for their loved ones in the best and worst of times. In just over three years, our movement has tripled the number of states in the nation which already have or are in process of implementing paid leave funds. Together hundreds of organizations and thousands of activists are paving the way for a national program, so that everyone, regardless of where they live, what kind of work they do, who they love or what form their family takes, will be able to care for themselves and their loved ones without risking their health or financial security. These wins are paving the way for a federal fund to cover workers no matter where they live.

Specific highlights of the bill include:

– All employees and employers of 25 or more people will make small contributions to the paid leave fund; employers will pay 60% of the costs, employees 40%.

– Self-employed individuals and tribal government employers may opt into the program.

– All workers will be provided with up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to welcome a new child, care for a serious personal or family illness, or to address a domestic violence situation, with an additional two weeks for pregnancy-related complications.

– Workers will have access to progressive wage replacement, up to 100% of wages paid for the lowest paid workers, with the weekly benefit capped at 120 percent of the state average weekly wage (approximately $1,215).

– All leave-takers will have job protection.

– The bill has an inclusive definition of family, including “any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with a covered individual is the equivalent of a family relationship.”

– People can add another 6 weeks unpaid state or federal leave.