Staff at the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) have been overwhelmed with applications for the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program . Therefore, ESD wants to hire more staff, costing roughly $23 million, according to The Washington State Standard .
The media outlet stated the program started paying out benefits in 2020 but has been experiencing low staffing and financial shortfalls.
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According to a legislative report by ESD in September, the paid leave program has received more than one million applications, with over 830,000 approved, paying out more than $5 billion in benefits by the end of the year.
“Paid Family and Medical Leave is a benefit for Washington workers,” stated the program’s website . “It’s here for you when a serious health condition prevents you from working or when you need time to care for a family member, bond with a new child or spend time with a family member preparing for military service overseas.”