Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Oregon program

Paid time off to care for your child (Paid Leave Oregon)

Paid Leave Oregon replaces some earnings while you take time off to care for your child.

What it is

Paid Leave Oregon replaces some earnings while you take time off to care for your child.

Time away for a child's serious health condition can qualify for Paid Leave Oregon. The program checks your earnings history and the medical reason for leave. Employer size does not set eligibility, and job protection has its own length-of-employment test.

Eligibility rules
  • At least $1,000 in base-year earnings is required.
  • Oregon employers are covered regardless of employee count, with exceptions for federal and Tribal governments.
  • Foreseeable leave requires 30 days' written employer notice. Unexpected leave requires oral notice within 24 hours and written notice within 3 days.
What you get
  • Weekly pay of up to about $1,692, depending on your earnings; lower earners have all of their wages replaced.
  • Up to 12 weeks of paid leave in a year, without an unpaid waiting week.
  • Job protection after 90 consecutive days with the employer.
What the help includes
  • If you earn less than about 65% of the state's average wage, Paid Leave replaces all of it; above that it replaces half of the extra, up to $1,692 a week for leave starting from June 28, 2026 ($1,637 before). (then cut items[1] and [2])
  • The maximum is $1,636.56 for benefit years beginning January 1 through June 27, 2026.
  • The $70.51 minimum and $1,692.16 maximum apply to benefit years beginning June 28, 2026 or later.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask payroll which Paid Leave Oregon route covers your job and how it works with other leave.
  2. Have your leave dates, employer details and the care team's medical certification ready for the Paid Leave Oregon application.

Paid Leave Oregon: paidleave.oregon.gov · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • The decision gives a weekly benefit amount and payment schedule.
  • Payroll can identify whether the same absence also qualifies for federal FMLA protection.
Good to know

The usual application window runs from 30 days before leave starts to 30 days after. An earlier benefit year keeps its earlier weekly limits.

Other details
  • Paid Leave Oregon and FMLA can run together. Oregon Family Leave Act leave is a separate bank and does not run at the same time as Paid Leave Oregon.
  • You can top Paid Leave up with sick time or vacation to reach full pay. Leave taken in separate days is counted in whole days, and each week is claimed within 30 days. Some employers run their own equivalent plan; payroll knows which.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could Paid Leave Oregon replace income while I care for our child? What are the benefits and drawbacks, how would it protect my job and insurance, and could you help me apply if it fits?”

Why I’m asking: I need to understand what time away from work could pay and protect.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Apply in the window, give the employer notice, and keep a copy of the notice.

Your social worker

The employer confirms your wages and the leave dates.

The care team

The oncology team provides the medical certification the application asks for.

Who decides
The Oregon Employment Department.
Ask HR
“I am applying for Paid Leave Oregon to care for my child. This is my written notice of the dates; can you confirm whether we use the state plan or an equivalent plan?”

How to apply

First step: With the social worker and payroll, compare Paid Leave and any approved equivalent plan, notice dates, employer pay and health-premium obligations before choosing an application route.

  1. Apply at paidleave.oregon.gov; you can send it 30 days before the leave starts.
  2. Give the employer written notice, 30 days ahead if you can, or orally within 24 hours if the leave was sudden.
  3. Ask the employer in writing whether they use a paid-leave equivalent plan rather than the state plan.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply at paidleave.oregon.gov, from 30 days before the leave starts to 30 days after.

What to gather

  • Your leave dates
  • Your employer's details
  • The medical certification the application asks for

How long: You can apply 30 days before the leave starts. There is no waiting week before pay begins.

Clock: Apply from 30 days before your leave starts to 30 days after it starts

What a yes looks like

A weekly benefit amount and a payment schedule.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Usually the $1,000 base-year earnings test or a notice problem. Ask which, and whether a different base year helps.

Watch out

  • Job protection comes from 90 days with the employer, not from the employer's size.
  • The usual application window is 30 days before through 30 days after leave starts; employer-notice requirements are separate. A social worker can help coordinate the records if you choose this route.
  • A benefit year that began before June 28, 2026 keeps the older weekly amounts for its whole year.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Up to 12 weeks of pay, $70.51 to $1,692.16 a week for benefit years beginning on or after June 28, 2026.

  • $1,692.16/week — Maximum weekly benefit, benefit years from June 28, 2026
  • $70.51/week — Minimum weekly benefit, benefit years from June 28, 2026
  • $1,636.56/week — Maximum weekly benefit, benefit years beginning January 1 to June 27, 2026
  • $12/year — Weeks of paid leave in a year
  • $90 — Days with the employer for job protection
  • $1,000/year — Base-year earnings needed

Legal protection: Your job is protected while you are on paid leave once you have 90 consecutive days with the employer · No waiting week · Can run with qualifying FMLA leave; each law has separate eligibility tests. OFLA cannot run simultaneously.

What it costs the family: Nothing to apply; it is funded by payroll contributions.

The eligibility facts, as published

Employer
all Oregon employers except federal and Tribal governments; no employee-count floor
Earnings
At least $1,000 in the base or alternate base year.
Tenure
90 consecutive days with the employer for job protection
Notice
30 days written notice when the leave is foreseeable; oral notice within 24 hours and written within three days when it is not

The trap: Job protection starts after 90 consecutive days with the employer. Payroll can explain employer-pay supplementation and health premiums. Paid Leave and OFLA cannot run simultaneously, and OED must resolve the same-week unemployment disqualification.

Where I read this

← Back to your options