Rules Governing Oregon's New Paid Family And Medical Leave Insurance Program And Equivalent Plan Application Process Finalized

On July 22, 2022 and August 22, 2022, the Oregon Employment Department (OED) published its latest rules governing Oregon's new Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI) program. The PFMLI program will be funded by employer and employee contributions in the form of payroll deductions beginning January 1, 2023 and will provide employees with up to 12 weeks of paid time off for leave that qualifies as family, medical, or safe leave, absent undue hardship, beginning on September 3, 2023. Below is a summary of the more notable rules governing the PFMLI program and how an employer may submit an equivalent plan application.

Quick Refresher on PFMLI

The PFMLI program is broad and covers any employer that employs one or more employees working anywhere in Oregon, but only employers with 25 or more employees will be required to pay into the fund via employer and employee payroll taxes. Employers and employees will share the cost of the 1% contribution rate; employers