paid leave oregon
What is Paid Leave Oregon?
Paid Leave Oregon (PLO), also called Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML), is a program that allows individuals to take paid time off for many of life’s most important moments that impact health, safety, and families. Oregon employers have the ability to provide PLO benefits through an equivalent plan provider. Each equivalent plan provider is approved by the Oregon Employment Department and must provide all eligible employees with benefits that are equal to, or greater than, those provided by the state PLO plan.
The Standard is Oregon City School District’s equivalent plan provider. The Standard will assist OCSD in reviewing, processing, and tracking PLO leave requests.
Paid Leave Oregon can be taken independently or combined with a FMLA/OFLA qualifying leave. Information about all protected medical leave options can be found here.
Applying for paid leave oregon is a two step process:
Step 1: Notify Human Resources
For pre-planned events, you must provide written notice to HR at least 30 calendar days in advance. In an emergency, you must contact HR within 24 hours of the event and submit written notice within 3 days of starting the leave. If you have already provided notice for OFLA/FMLA, this step can be skipped.
Step 2: Initiate a Paid Leave Oregon Claim with The Standard
Call The Standard’s services center: 866-756-8115 (Mon-Fri, 5am-5pm)
Reference: Oregon City School District #62, Policy # 762217
The intake agent will spend 10-20 minutes setting up your case(s)
Complete the paperwork that is sent from The Standard and return it directly to them
important paid leave oregon pay & tax information
PLO Payments:
After your claim has been initiated, The Standard will review your application and any required documentation to determine your benefits. They will then pay you a weekly amount.
The amount you get paid from The Standard is based on how much you earn in Oregon. OCSD reports wages to The Standard on a monthly basis and that information is used to calculate your weekly benefit dollar amount.
Possible PLO Tax Implications:
Paid Leave Oregon is jointly funded by employees and employers through a payroll tax. Oregon has set the current contribution rate at 1% of an employee’s gross wages, with employees paying .4% and employers paying .6% of that contribution. This means that OCSD employees will contribute .4% of their gross wages each month ($0.40 / $100 earned).
Taxable PLO benefits are subject to federal and state income tax and employment tax for the first six months of benefits. OCSD will report this as taxable income on your W-2. This could have an impact on your taxes due at the end of the year.
It’s important to note that PLO benefits received by an employee for reasons unrelated to their own serious health condition are fully taxable and reported on your W-2 as taxable income. This could have an impact on your taxes due at the end of the year.
PLEASE NOTE:
Paid leave benefits are completely separate from your OCSD salary. The Standard will ask you to report leave dates and absences to their system, but you are still required to enter your absences into the appropriate OCSD absence reporting system (TimeClock Plus, Absence Management, or Employee Access).
You will have the option of entering your absence as unpaid leave or sick leave. If you enter your time as sick leave your accrued sick leave will be deducted. Any payment you receive from The Standard is in addition to your accrued paid leave as an employee of OCSD. Once entered and used, sick leave cannot be reimbursed as accrued leave.
Optional disability benefits purchased by the employee through American Fidelity and the Standard during open enrollment are different policies than Paid Leave Oregon. Tax implications are different for these policies. Please speak to your provider regarding your tax liability.
Something to consider when making your decision about using sick leave or unpaid leave:
Service Credits for PERS
While it may seem counterintuitive to use accrued leave while out on paid leave, as long as your absences are covered by your accrued sick & personal leave (vacation leave too, if applicable) your work hours are reported to PERS as Service Credits.
If you were only to receive Paid Leave Oregon benefits, then your absences would be in effect "unpaid" in connection to your employment at OCSD and the time you take off would not be reported as work hours to PERS (no Service Credit granted for the time off taken).
frequently asked questions
-
You are automatically covered if:
-You work in Oregon;
-You earned at least $1,000 the year before you apply for benefits; and
-You have a life event that qualifies you.
-
-Medical Leave - for your own serious health condition.
-Family Leave - bonding with a child and/or caring for a family member with a serious health condition.
-Safe Leave - seeking help for yourself or for a minor dependent, related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.
-
-You can take up to 12 weeks of paid time off in a year.
-If you’re pregnant, have given birth, or have health issues related to child-birth, you may be able to take up to two additional weeks for a total of 14 weeks.
-You can take leave for a week or a single day at a time (excluding parental leave).
-
By law, your job is protected while you are on leave if you have worked at least 90 days for your employer.
-
-As soon as you are aware of or have a qualifying event.
-For pre-planned events, you must provide at least 30 calendar days advance notice to your employer.
-In an emergency, you must contact HR within 24 hours of the event and submit written notice within 3 days of starting the leave.
-
Once your leave application and required documentation is received by The Standard, processing time can take up to 14 calendar days.
-
-Your spouse/domestic partner
-Your child and their spouse/domestic partner
-Your parent and their spouse/domestic partner
-Your sibling or step-sibling and their spouse/domestic partner
-Your grandparent and their spouse/domestic partner
-Your grandchild and their spouse/domestic partner
-Anyone you are related to by blood or anyone who lives with or is connected to you like a family member.
-
No, use of PLO benefits is optional.