Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center has informed us it will start collecting premiums for the state-mandated Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) as of Sept. 6. The PFMLA provides a new state-run insurance benefit which will allow eligible employees to receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave for:

• Bonding after the birth or placement of a child.
• An employee's serious health condition.
• A serious health condition of a qualifying family member.
• Certain military events.

As an insurance benefit provided by the state, there are premiums; and the PFMLA allows employers to charge employees a portion of the premium. The premium rate for 2019 is 0.4% of the employee’s wages, with the employer required to pay at least 36.67% of the premium, and the employee covering the rest.
There are a few important things you should know about the PFMLA:

• Employees are eligible to use PFMLA benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2020.
• There is a 7-day waiting period, except for birth or placement of a child.
• You must file a claim with Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD), notify the employer of the request, and meet certain eligibility requirements.

The benefit you receive under PFMLA is a percentage of your weekly wage. The maximum benefit that you can receive is $1,000 per week. It has been estimated that a nurse making $80,000 per year would hit the $1,000 limit.

This in no way means WSNA has accepted management’s leave proposals at the negotiating table. This is a an insurance program required by the state.

United we stand!

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jaclyn Perkins, BSN, RN, at 1-800-231-8482, ext. 3118 or jperkins@wsna.org