PACE legal resource on changes to family leave

The Oregon legislature’s recent changes to the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and paid family medical leave insurance (“Paid Leave Oregon”) begin to take effect July 1, 2024. Senate Bill 1515 significantly altered the qualifying reasons employees may use OFLA leave and in many cases reduce the likelihood of employees using OFLA leave and Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) consecutively, or “stacking” leaves.

Some of the key changes include:

  • OFLA leave will no longer be available for an employee’s serious health condition or parental leave;
  • Only four weeks of OFLA leave may be used for bereavement each leave year;
  • OFLA leave may be used for an employee to care for their sick child who requires home care due to an illness, injury or condition regardless of whether caused by a serious health condition, and to care for a child whose school or place of care is closed due to a public health emergency; and
  • After January 1, 2025, employees may use Paid Leave Oregon for leave related to adoption or placement of a foster child (up to two weeks of OFLA leave may be used for this purpose through 2024).
  • The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) remains unchanged. We recommend that you review your procedures related to leaves to ensure you are handling leaves appropriately after these changes take effect.

To help our members prepare for and navigate these changes, PACE Legal has developed the resource linked below. You can also contact PACE Legal and the attorneys at OSBA will assist you with your questions about leave issues.

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