On July 5, 2017, Washington became the fifth state to guarantee paid family leave for employees when Governor Jay Inslee signed the program into law. Washington's paid family leave program will provide 12 weeks of wage substitution, or 14 weeks for certain births, up to a benefit cap of $1,000 per week. Employees and employers alike will pay into the system funding the leave, although employers with 50 or fewer employees will not have to contribute. The law goes into effect in 2020, so further guidance will likely come before then.
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