The Paid Family and Medical Leave program in Washington will experience changes next year due to growing usage and increasing financial pressure. As of January, the premium rate will rise from its current rate of 0.74% to 0.92%. This rate adjustment is necessary due to the expanding program and more employees qualifying for the benefits in a post-pandemic world. The program provides workers with paid leave for severe health issues, new children, or caring for family members, and is funded through a tax paid by both employers and employees. Despite a similar breakdown in who pays what percentage (employers at 28.48% and employees at 71.52%), an employee who makes $50,000 annually will experience an increase in their annual premium from $264 this year to $328 next year. Due to its rapid growth, the program now has over 175,000 workers receiving benefits, totaling more than $1.35 billion. This is the highest amount since the program’s start in 2020. To maintain this program, the state is seeking the power to hire 98 new employees to cope with customer service calls and applications.

For further questions regarding Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program, you may need to reach out to their dedicated customer service. Essential information related to how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave will be readily available on their website or official channels. However, if you’re in California, eddcaller.com provides extensive options on how to get a hold of edd, including tips on effective ways to contact EDD, California unemployment customer service, EDD phone number, how to get through to EDD, and tips on how to speak to someone at EDD amongst other valuable information.