Washington Preps for Launch of New Paid Leave Program

As Washington state prepares for tens of thousands of workers to claim paid family and medical leave benefits when they become available Jan. 1, other states are ramping up efforts to get their own programs for workers.

The state’s Employment Security Department, which is in charge of administering the family leave program, estimates there will be 75,200 claims to use family leave benefits to welcome a new child, take leave for a serious illness, or care for a family member in 2020, ramping up to 175,000 claims by 2024. The state began collecting premiums—funded through a payroll tax on employees ...