Paid Family Leave

On Monday, March 25 at 6pm, the House Business & Labor Committee and Senate Workforce Committee hosted a joint public hearing on paid family & medical leave bills that would SIGNIFICANTLY alter Oregon’s business climate.

With every workplace mandate the Legislature has passed, the competitive distance between Oregon and other states is increasing. Oregon’s small businesses are still scrambling to comply with the state’s minimum wage increases, paid sick leave law and the new equal pay law.

We understand the intent of this bill. However, the proposals establish impractical requirements on businesses, large and small, and will cost Oregonians billions.

HB 3031
(requires 3/5 vote) ACTION ALERT
• Applies to employers with 1+ employees
• Mandates 32 weeks of paid and protected family and medical leave each year
• Establishes new payroll tax of up to 1%:
o 0.5% paid by employers
o 0.5% paid by employees
o Creates state run family insurance program
o Doesn’t allow employers to provide substantially similar plans/ currently existing plans

HB 3140 / SB 947 (don’t require 3/5 vote)
• Expands OFLA eligibility to 1+ employees
• Expands family member definition
• Mandates 24 weeks of paid and protected leave AND an additional 24 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave each year
• Requires 100% of employee wages to be paid 100% by employers while employee is on leave