OLYMPIA – Washington workers will see expanded protections thanks to a bill passed by the House by a 55-41 vote. HB 1213, sponsored by Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), addresses a harmful loophole in the state Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program.
The current PFML program has a loophole that allows for nearly half of Washington workers being unable to take paid leave without risking their job. HB 1213 extends protections by expanding to all employees in Washington state by closing the loophole. The bill also provides expanded access to grants to small businesses to help offset costs of employees’ use of PFML.
“This will expand protections to all workers in Washington for our Paid Family Medical Leave program, which is extremely popular. Right now, we have a privileged system. Nearly half of all workers do not have job protection if they use the Paid Family Medical Leave program,” said Berry. “Seventy percent of high wage workers have job protection, while only 16 percent of low wage workers do. This is unacceptable and we can and must do better.”
Without protections provided in HB 1213, using paid leave could result in termination and losing access to health care. For many, that would mean losing access to health care at the exact time they need it the most. A study from the University of Washington found that while 70% of high wage workers have access to job protection, only 16% of low wage workers do.
HB 1213 is a top legislative priority for Berry, who also chairs the House Labor & Workforce Development Committee. The bill will now be considered in the Senate.
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