Get ready to apply

Answer a few quick questions to see if now is the right time to apply for Paid Family and Medical Leave.

You can use Paid Leave when:

• A serious health condition prevents you from working (medical leave)
• You are caring for a family member with a serious health condition (family leave)
• You are pregnant or have given birth (medical leave then combine with family leave to bond with your baby, for a total of 16 weeks of leave. An additional 2 weeks can be approved for complications due to pregnancy or delivery.)
• You are bonding with a new child born to you or who you are adopting or fostering (family leave)
• You are spending time with a family member in the military who is home on leave or who is soon to be deployed (family leave).

Nearly every Washington worker can qualify for Paid Leave as long as you worked a minimum of 820 hours (about 16 hours a week) in Washington over the last year. Full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal work counts. All the hours you work in Washington count toward eligibility, even if you work multiple jobs or switch employers.

If you know you will be taking Paid Leave, give your employer(s) written notice at least 30 days in advance.

If you need to take Paid Leave unexpectedly, provide written notice to your employer(s) as soon as you can. You can ask someone else, like a family member or a neighbor, to provide written notice for you.

In your written notice, let your employer know about how long you expect you will be out. Emails, text messages and handwritten notes all count as written notice. It is always a good idea to keep a copy for your records.

After you notify your employer that you need to take leave, you are responsible for submitting for your own Paid Leave application.

You don’t have to share any medical information with your employers if you don’t want to. Your health care provider will decide how much time off you need to take care of yourself or a family member.

When you apply for Paid Leave, we’ll send your current employers, as marked by you on your application, a letter with the following information:

• The date you applied,
• The expected start and end dates of your leave, and
• The date you gave them notice.

We’ll also send your current employers a letter once your application is approved or denied. These letters do not include personal medical information.

To apply, you will need to provide documents that prove your identity and your eligibility for leave.

Documents you’ll need:

Proof of ID: This can include a driver’s license, passport, utility bills and more.

For medical leave and for family leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, you must provide one of the following:

• Certification form filled out by you and your health care provider.
• Your Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) form.
• A doctor’s note. Just make sure it includes the same information as the certification form.

Once you request documentation for taking Paid Leave from your health care provider, they will have 7 calendar days to complete the documentation and give it back to you directly. Your health care provider can bill for the appointment but cannot charge you a fee for filling out the form.

For medical leave related to pregnancy and childbirth or for family leave to bond with a child who was born into your family:

Both parents can use our Certification of Birth form for bonding leave, and birthing parents can use this form for medical leave during the postnatal period. If you give birth to a child and apply for medical leave before family leave because of complications during delivery or for prenatal care, you will need to use the Medical Certification for Birth Complications or Medical Certification for Prenatal Care.

For family leave to bond with a child who was adopted or placed in your family: You will need to provide court documents to show the adoption or placement date, like court documents or a letter from a social worker or agency.

For military family leave: Documentation that shows your family member’s deployment dates and the time and dates you’ll need leave to take part in certain activities arising from a family member who is overseas on federal active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to federal active duty overseas or international waters in the armed forces.