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

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Washington program

Paid time off to care for your child (Paid Family and Medical Leave)

Washington pays part of a parent’s wages during approved time off to care for a seriously ill child.

What it is

Washington pays part of a parent’s wages during approved time off to care for a seriously ill child.

Paid Leave pays a parent for time off to care for a seriously ill child. The test is 820 Washington work hours in ESD’s qualifying period, from one job or several; the employer’s size affects Paid Leave’s own job-protection test, not the money. For a payable week the minimum-claim rule generally requires four consecutive hours of leave during that week; ask ESD how to report shorter absences.

Eligibility rules
  • 820 Washington work hours in ESD’s qualifying period. Hours from more than one job count.
  • The oncology team provides the medical certification of the need for family care.
  • Federal employees and some other workers follow different rules.
  • Job protection in 2026 needs an employer with 25 or more Washington employees and 180 days there. That drops to 15 employees in 2027 and 8 from 2028.
What you get
  • Up to 12 weeks of family leave a year, paid at 90% of wages for lower earners and a smaller share above half the state average wage.
  • Capped at $1,647 a week in 2026.
  • Leave can be claimed by the week, with a minimum of four consecutive hours in a payable week, so it can match a treatment calendar; ask ESD how to report shorter absences.
  • For protected workers, the employer keeps existing health benefits in place during leave.
Pay and protection in full
  • The payment comes from the state program, not from ordinary sick pay.
  • A seven-day waiting period usually applies to family-care leave. Weekly claims follow approval.
  • Protected workers keep their health benefits and usually pay their usual share of the premium.
If you decide to apply
  1. Tell the employer that family leave is needed; written notice in advance when possible.
  2. Ask the oncology team for the family-leave medical certification.
  3. Apply at paidleave.wa.gov within 30 days of the leave starting. Benefits usually begin no earlier than the application date, though ESD can approve earlier dates under its good-cause backdating rules.

paidleave.wa.gov · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • Submit weekly claims as directed after approval.
  • Ask HR separately about job protection, insurance continuation, the premium share and how this fits with federal FMLA or other leave.
Good to know

Getting paid and keeping the job are separate questions. The money depends on hours worked; job protection depends on the employer’s Washington payroll count (25 or more in 2026, counted over 20 weeks) and 180 days there. Ask HR to confirm, together with federal FMLA where the employer has 50 or more employees.

Timing
  • Expect a seven-day wait before family leave pays. Earned sick leave (next card) can cover that week.
  • In benefit weeks, ordinary employer-paid leave can reduce the state payment; pay the employer designates as supplemental does not. Ask payroll which applies.
  • The 30-day application window runs from the qualifying event. Claims are made in blocks of at least four consecutive hours (2026).

Federal background: Job-protected time off (FMLA).

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“A parent has cut hours to care for our child. Can you help with the medical certification for Paid Family and Medical Leave, and is there anything about timing or job protection we should ask HR?”

Why I’m asking: We need time to care for our child and want to understand the pay available and what it means for the job.

More background and detailed requirements

How this could help

The payment comes through Washington’s Paid Leave program rather than ordinary sick pay. The amount depends on your earnings and can replace up to 90% of wages, subject to the weekly cap. Leave can be taken in smaller periods when approved; it need not all be used at once.

Getting paid and having your job protected are separate questions. In 2026, job protection generally requires an employer with at least 25 Washington employees and at least 180 days of employment. Employers must maintain existing health benefits for workers who qualify for this job protection; ask how to keep paying your share of the premium.

What to know before you apply

  • The benefit generally requires 820 hours of qualifying Washington work. Hours from more than one job can count.
  • The oncology team provides medical certification of the need for family care. Federal employees and some other workers follow different rules.
  • There is generally a seven-day waiting period for family-care leave. Submit weekly claims after approval.

Your next steps

  1. Tell your employer you need family leave; give advance written notice when possible, or notice as soon as you can for an unexpected need.
  2. Apply through paidleave.wa.gov within 30 days after the qualifying event and request the medical certification from the care team.
  3. Ask HR separately about job protection, insurance continuation, your premium share and coordination with FMLA or other leave.

820 hours worked in the qualifying period; no employer-size test for the benefit

25 or more employees in 2026, 15 in 2027, 8 from 2028, for job restoration only

180 calendar days with the employer, for job restoration only

Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

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

You

Open a Paid Leave account, apply as the leave starts, and file weekly claims.

Your social worker

The employer is told about the leave but does not decide it.

The care team

The doctor certifies that your child has a serious health condition and that you are needed to care for them.

Who decides
The Employment Security Department.
Ask your social worker
“Could I qualify for paid family leave, and can you help with the medical certification?”

How to apply

First step: Tell your employer you need family leave; give advance written notice when possible, or notice as soon as you can for an unexpected need.

  1. Apply within 30 days after the qualifying event. Ask the Paid Leave program about late applications or earlier leave dates.
  2. Ask the oncology team for the medical certification the claim needs.
  3. Ask the employer in writing whether they have 25 or more people, because that is what holds your job.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply through the state's Paid Leave account as the leave starts. Backdating needs good cause and an application within 30 days of the cause ending.

What to gather

  • Your hours worked in the last year
  • The medical certification from the oncology team
  • Your employer's name and the date you started

How long: There is generally a seven-day waiting period for family-care leave. Application processing is separate; submit weekly claims as directed after approval.

Clock: Apply within 30 days after the qualifying event. Ask the Paid Leave program about late applications or earlier leave dates.

What a yes looks like

A weekly payment and a run of approved weeks.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If the no is about hours, ask which quarters they counted; hours at more than one employer add up.

Watch out

  • Payment eligibility and job protection are separate tests.
  • Ask HR about maintaining health insurance and paying your premium share.
  • Apply within 30 days after the qualifying event; a seven-day waiting period generally applies.

Dates that change this

2026-09-10: The yearly maximum weekly payment for 2026 could not be read from a live state page, so no figure is printed here. Ask the Employment Security Department for this year's maximum.

2027-01-01: The employer-size test for holding your job drops to 15 employees in 2027 and 8 from 2028, so a parent not protected this year can be protected next year.

The numbers and the rules

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

What it is worth

Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave replaces part of your wages while you take approved time off to care for a seriously ill child: up to 12 weeks of family leave, with a 2026 maximum of $1,647 a week.

  • $12/year — Weeks of paid family leave in a year
  • $16/year — Weeks of family and medical leave combined
  • $820/year — Hours worked in the qualifying year to be paid
  • $7 — Waiting days before family leave pays
  • $90/week — Share of wages replaced up to half the state average wage
  • $25 — Employees the employer must have for your job to be held in 2026
  • $180 — Days with the employer for your job to be held
  • $1,647/week — Maximum weekly Paid Leave benefit in 2026

Legal protection: Your job is held if the employer is large enough and you have been there 180 days · State and local government employers are covered

What it costs the family: Nothing. It is paid from a contribution already taken from wages.

The eligibility facts, as published

Employment
820 hours worked in the qualifying period; no employer-size test for the benefit
Employer size
25 or more employees in 2026, 15 in 2027, 8 from 2028, for job restoration only
Tenure
180 calendar days with the employer, for job restoration only
Waiting period
seven consecutive calendar days for family leave; the smallest claim is four consecutive hours
Coordination
normally runs at the same time as federal family leave rather than after it
Residency
Washington employment
Health insurance
Starting January 2026, an employer must maintain existing health benefits for an employee using Paid Leave who qualifies for job protection, subject to the applicable rules.

Decisions this site cannot make: Employment Security Department benefit determination

Expect friction on: Getting the medical certification signed quickly

The trap: Payment eligibility and job protection are separate. In 2026, job protection generally requires 25 Washington employees and 180 days of employment. Employers must maintain existing health benefits for employees who qualify for job protection; the employee generally continues their premium share. Apply within 30 days after the qualifying event. A seven-day waiting period generally applies to family-care leave.

Where I read this

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