On May 17, 2025, Gov. Ferguson signed HB 1213 into law, which expands protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program. The bill also imposes new employer responsibilities, including notifying employees of their rights within five business days of qualifying for Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML, and providing continued notices (e.g., monthly) in certain circumstances. Additional rulemaking to develop the required written statement of employee rights is also expected.
Employers must also continue to post a notice—including additional details added by the legislation — about WA PFML in the workplace. This revised notice will include information regarding eligibility requirements, possible weekly benefits, application processes, employment protection rights, nondiscrimination rights, other protections, and information about how to file a complaint.
In addition, the legislation states employees are entitled to job restoration (regardless of whether the employee also qualifies for and receives concurrent leave under federal FMLA after WA PFML leave) if they: 1) work for an employer with a minimum number of employees (with decreasing thresholds starting in 2026), and 2) have been employed for at least 180 days. Some exceptions may apply to job restoration, including for highly compensated employees given specific notice or via written agreement/forfeiture of rights.
The bill also authorizes the Department of Employment Security to conduct audits of employer records for compliance. Finally, the bill modifies WA PFML grant eligibility for small employers to offset costs related to employee leave. Small businesses with 50 to 150 employees can apply for these grants, which can be used for temporary employee replacement costs or to cover wages for employees on leave.
Employers should ensure they implement the new notice requirements, including the statement of employee rights, by January 2026.