Washington’s paid leave program heads toward a fiscal cliff

Washington’s paid leave program heads toward a fiscal cliff

Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard

October 13, 2025 / 11:24 am

Washington’s innovative paid family and medical leave program could be hundreds of millions of dollars in the red within a few years, unless the Legislature acts.

This could mean reduced benefits or increased payments by the employers and employees who fund the program, which lets Washingtonians take paid time off work for serious health issues or to care for a family member or a new child.

The program’s actuary says paid family and medical leave could face a more than $350 million deficit in 2029.

The state sets a premium rate annually for how much employers and employees need to pay into the program. This year, 0.92% of Washington workers’ p