Washington State Delays Paid Family Leave Mandate

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed legislation that delays implementation of a 2007 law giving employees up to five weeks of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

The measure, S.B. 6158, that Gov. Gregoire signed Monday, May 18, delays the effective date of the paid leave mandate to October 2012 from October 2009.

The delay will give lawmakers more time to identify a funding source for the program in which employees would be eligible for up to $250 a week of paid leave for up to five weeks a year after the birth or adoption of a child.

Washington is one of three states with paid family leave laws. California passed a paid family leave bill in 2002, and New Jersey did so last year.

Filed by Jerry Geisel of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com