Oregon Passes Family Leave Law
Oregon Passes Family Leave Law
On the last day of the Senate sessions in June, Oregon senators pushed through a new family leave bill that allows new parents, victims of domestic violence, and caregivers of individuals with an illness up to 12 weeks of paid leave. Becoming the eighth state (United States) to pass such a law, it now will sit with Governor Kate Brown waiting for her John Hancock on the bill.
Coming on the heels of Connecticut’s similar legislation which was considered quite generous, offering low-wage workers up to 95% of their paychecks during 12 weeks off, capped at $900 a week; Oregon digs deeper.
Oregon will be the first to pay low-income workers 100% of their wages when they’re off, with weekly benefits capped at around $1,215.
“It’s the first law that reflects if you’re paid low-wages and literally living paycheck to paycheck, anything less than 100% is going to cause financial hardship,” said Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow who specializes in paid leave at the think tank New America.
Activists and advocates were singing the praises of Oregon’s law on Monday, touting it as the most inclusive in the country for a few reasons: The bar to get paid leave benefits is low. Nearly all workers in the state will have access to the benefit, including those who work part time. You just have to earn at least $1,000 in wages a year to qualify.
Oregon doubles down by it’s promise that if you take time off from work, your job is guaranteed to be there for you when you return. Not all of the other states with these laws offer that kind of protection. Kudos and our hats off to Oregon representatives!
