Paychecks shrink with Paid Family and Medical Leave taking effect

12-3-2018

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Paid Family and Medical Leave is set to begin in Washington January 1, 2019, and so will premium collection.

Passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2017, virtually all employers must participate in the program, according to the Washington Employment Security Department.

The premium rate for 2019 is currently set at 0.4 percent of an employee’s gross wages.

On January 1, employers must begin withholding Paid Family and Medical Leave from employees’ paychecks, or plan to cover all or part of the employee’s share.