Oregon passes 12-week paid family leave policy

Oregon governor Katy Brown (D) signed into law Monday a paid family and medical leave policy that covers 12 weeks annually for all workers who make over $1,000 annually. The law will be funded through a payroll tax (not to exceed 1% of employee wages) where employees pay in 60% of the total rate and employers will cover the remaining 40%. Small businesses are exempt from paying the tax, which will be effective in January 2023. Oregon is the first in the country to offer 100% wage replacement for low-wage workers taking leave for family, medical, or safety reasons. Oregon is the second state after New Jersey to include victims of domestic violence in its paid family leave law, and defines family broadly, to include "any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with a covered individual is the equivalent of a family relationship."