The Governor of Washington, Bob Ferguson, approved funding on May 20, 2025, to implement House Bill (HB) 1213, a law expanding the state’s paid family and medical leave program. This funding means the new law will be in effect from January 1, 2026. An integral part of the new law involves expanding job protection rights. Currently, only businesses with 50 or more employees must provide job protection, but the new law will gradually enlist more employers.

Additionally, HB 1213 reduces the eligibility requirement for employees to qualify for job protection. Previously, employees needed to have worked for their employer for at least 12 months and for 1,250 hours the year before the start of their leave. With the amendment, the required tenure will be reduced to 180 days, making it easier for employees to avail of the protection.

The new law also introduces a “stacking mechanism . This allows employers to count leave taken under the federally administered Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) towards the total leave entitled to job protection under the state’s program. However, to benefit from this mechanism, employers must provide the employee with a written notice within five days of the initial request for or use of FMLA leave.

Furthermore, the expanded law requires employers to provide a new notice of reinstatement rights to employees who take more than two weeks of continuous leave or more than fourteen days intermittent leave. It also establishes maximum periods of job protection: without a different written agreement, employees lose their right to job protection if they don’t exercise it within the first scheduled workday following their actual leave period or within sixteen weeks of continuous or combined intermittent leave.

Companies will now also have to continue health insurance coverage throughout any period of leave during which the employee is entitled to job protection. The new law also permits the state to conduct periodic audits of company records to assess compliance.

Lastly, the law alters how an employer’s size is determined for premium calculations and revises the grant available for small businesses. Employers should anticipate these changes by reevaluating company-provided leave in light of the expanded rights under the state program.

For Washington employees who wish to learn more about these changes or need to speak with a customer service representative from the Paid Family Leave (PFL) program, there are resources available. You can visit eddcaller.com for guidance and contacts on How to get a hold of Paid Family Leave.