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WA Lawmakers: Close the Job Protection Loophole in PFML - Pass HB 1213!

Since the program's launch in 2019, Washington's Paid Family & Medical Leave has oftentimes been a lifeline for working families, and has provided benefits to hundreds of thousands of workers. However, under current state law, nearly half of Washington workers who are eligible for paid leave are not guaranteed their job back if they take leave.

Accessing paid leave could not only result in being fired, but could also cause workers to lose access to healthcare at a time when they or their family need it the most. House Bill 1213 is an opportunity for Washington State lawmakers to course correct and close the job protection loophole in Paid Family & Medical Leave.

This bill is still moving through the 2025 legislative session, so now is the time to urge your state lawmakers to make sure they get to the governor's desk!

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As your constituent, I am writing to urge your support of SHB 1213, a bill that will expand job protection in the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. It is in House Rules and ready to be advanced to a vote on the floor.

A few key points about this bill:

No general fund impacts: This bill has zero costs to the state general fund, PFML is a self-financed social insurance fund
Equity fix: This bill fixes a deep inequity in PFML: low wage workers are required to pay into the program but take leave at lower rates because they have no right to their job back if they do
Data-driven, heavily negotiated: The legislation is a direct result of research the legislature commissioned at the University of Washington, showing that low wage workers, women, and workers of color were least likely to have job protection. Further, the amended bill as passed out of House Appropriations includes several concessions to the business community including reducing job-protected leave for FMLA-covered employees by three months and an expanded grant program for small businesses with up to $70,000 per year in grants (not loans) to cover the costs of employees being out.
Opportunity to champion working families in a tough budget year: SHB 1213 is a transformative piece of legislation for working people that does not require general fund dollars that would greatly enhance Washington's PFML, a program with a high level of support amongst the public.

Paid family and medical leave is a lifeline for families. Since launching in 2020, it has supported thousands of workers in taking leave for serious health conditions, welcoming a new child, caring for a sick family member, and supporting family members through military deployments.

Yet, nearly half of Washington workers covered by the program are not able to take leave without risking their job to do so. That is because the PFML Act only extends job protection to workers who work at large employers, have worked at that employer for 1 year, and have worked 1,250 hours for that employer. This leaves out a staggering number of Washingtonians, particularly low-wage workers.

Recent, research out of the University of Washington, funded by the state legislature, found that women, workers of color, and workers without postsecondary degrees are much less likely to qualify for job protected leave. Staggeringly, while 70 percent of high-wage workers have job protection, only 16 percent of low-wage workers do.

SHB 1213 will:

Extend job protections—including maintenance of health care and other benefits—to all employees who:

Meet the existing hours worked requirements and qualifying event requirements of the program
Have worked with their employer for at least 180 days (six months, amended up from 90 days in House Appropriations)

Align PFML job protection with FMLA and allow for benefits to run concurrently for employers, reducing job-protected leave for FMLA-covered employees by three months by eliminating stacking of benefits
Reduce the minimum duration of leave from 8 hours to 4 hours, reflecting shorter shifts for part-time and service workers and allowing for workers to take leave in shorter durations meaning they can return to work if possible

Almost everyone will need to take extended leave from work at some point in their life to care for a new child, help a family member who is sick, or recover from their own serious illness. Whether it’s caring for a sick parent or holding a baby you swear already smiles, paid family and medical leave provides a critical safety-net for working families across Washington. SHB 1213 will ensure equitable access to these life-changing benefits.

I urge your support of this crucial piece of legislation.

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