Paid Leave Oregon Important Updates

The Oregon Employment Department (“OED”) issued a press release on July 18, 2023 stating that, based on current data and projections, the Paid Leave Oregon trust fund is ready for benefits to begin as planned on September 3, 2023.

OED also announced that employees can start applying for Paid Leave Oregon benefits as of August 14, 2023. Although benefits under Paid Leave Oregon do not begin until September 3, 2023, OED is encouraging employees to submit applications early to allow enough time to process initial claims. OED also stated that employees should expect a two-week wait before they start to receive benefit payments.

Employees are required to give their employer notice when they will be taking Paid Leave Oregon and provide an explanation of their leave.  For planned leaves, employees are required to give 30-day’s written notice before taking leave.  For unplanned emergency leave, employees are required to give 24-hour notice and give written notice within three days of starting leave.

Employers must outline these notice requirements in their written policy and procedures and provide a copy to employees. United Employers Association has drafted a sample Paid Leave Oregon policy that member companies may use to provide employees these notice requirements and other valuable information about Paid Leave Oregon. UEA Members can contact our office for a copy of our draft policy.

OED has also developed a wide variety of resources for employees and employers to use when planning for Paid Leave Oregon. The following resources are available on the Paid Leave Oregon website at https://paidleave.oregon.gov/resources/resources.html

• Model Notice Poster :  available for download and printing in 11 languages.
• Fact Sheets :   quick answers to questions about how Paid Leave Oregon works.
• Guidebooks :  detailed information about how Paid Leave Oregon works.
• Checklists :   detailed steps required for equivalent plans and applying for benefits.
• Forms :   detailed forms required for equivalent plans, applying for benefits, including verifications of birth and serious health condition, and grant applications.
• Additional Resources, Videos, and FAQ’s

OED has also developed resources for employees, which are available at the following web address:  https://paidleave.oregon.gov/employees/employee-toolkit.html

• Benefits Calculator :  provides an estimate of how much employees will be paid while on leave.
• Eligibility Quiz:   by taking a short quiz, employees can find out if they are eligible for Paid Leave Oregon.
• What You Need to Apply for Benefits Checklist :  helpful checklist to prepare employees to apply for Paid Leave benefits.
• Apply for Benefits in Frances Online Video