(The Center Square) – Washington workers will see a larger chunk taken out of their paychecks in 2025 to fund the Paid Family and Medical Leave program .
PFML provides paid time off when you have a serious health condition or you’re caring for a family member who is ill, when you’ve given birth, or for bonding with a new child in your home.
In 2024, PFML taxes took 0.74% of an employee’s gross wages, and in 2025 the premium is going up to 0.92%.
Someone who makes $75,000 a year will pay $690 into the program for 2025 whether they ever use it or not.
More than 301,600 people applied for family or medical leave in 2024.
Allison Eldridge, deputy director of leave and care at the Washington Employment Security Department, told lawmakers in the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee this week that more and more Washington workers are taking advantage of paid leave.
“There’s been a continued increase in applications year over year. In the most recent fiscal year, we had about 204,000 people receive about $1.67 billion in benefits which counts for 61 million leave hours,” said Eldridge.