HR resources

Senate Bill 5586 made changes to Paid Leave’s privacy provisions. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, employers will have access to information about their employees on leave if they:

• Have completed the PIN process and have full access to their employer account,
• Have the ‘Benefit Claims’ user role or are an ‘Account Administrator’, and
• Are marked as a ‘current employer’ in a benefit application or during a weekly claim.

What information is shared:

• Employee name
• Benefit Claim ID number
• Application date and requested leave dates
• Leave type (Medical or Family)
• Decision and approved leave dates
• Our decisions on that employee’s submitted weekly claims:
  • WW = Waiting week
  • Yes = Approved and paid week
  • No = Denied or unpaid

How to access this information

Log in to your employer account and select the “Benefit Claims” tab. This will open a page called “Your Employees’ Benefit Claim information” which includes information about your employees’ benefit applications and weekly claims.

This information is not available in employer agent accounts.

What information is not shared:

Our law protects:

• Employee health information,
• The reason they applied for leave,
• Their weekly benefit amount,
• Their payment amounts,
• Their hours used,
• If the claim is currently being redetermined or appealed, or
• If there are any other employers associated with their account or leave.

Employees can share this information with you if they choose.

If you disagree with the employee headcount we apply to your business, we can review your account and issue a new determination. You can request that we review your account by contacting us and providing any additional information to support your request. Contact us at paidleave@esd.wa.gov or (833) 717-2273.

If you do not agree with the revised decision, you can file an appeal.

You have 18 days to contest an employee’s claim after receiving notice that they applied for Paid Family and Medical Leave. Examples of why you may contest a claim: if you feel the employee is not qualified to take the benefit or if they did not give you proper notice. We will not hold up payment of benefits during the contest period. You will also get another notice starting whether the employee’s leave has been approved or denied for benefits.