Paid Family Leave is coming to the District of Columbia in July 2020

Mission

The mission of the Office of Paid Family Leave (OPFL) is to plan, develop, and administer a paid leave program for the District of Columbia under the provisions of the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016.
The District of Columbia is implementing paid family leave so you don’t have to choose between caring for yourself or your loved ones and your job security. The Paid Leave Act provides up to:

• 8 weeks to bond with a new child
• 6 weeks to care for a family member with a serious health condition
• 2 weeks to care for your own serious health condition

On July 1, 2019, the District will begin the collection of taxes from employers and on July 1, 2020, the District will begin administering paid leave benefits.

For inquiries regarding the Paid Family Leave program, please contact the Office of Paid Family Leave at [email protected] or visit our website dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov

About the DC Office of Paid Family Leave

The DC Office of Paid Family Leave (OPFL) at the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) is working with employers and residents to support the implementation of Paid Family Leave and to ensure our communities are a meaningful part of the process. More information is available here. 

 

Required PFL Employee Notice

All DC employers are required to post the employee PFL notice in their worksites along with other labor law posters by February 1, 2020. In addition, this notice must be provided in electronic or physical form to:

1. All employees at least once between February 1, 2020 and February 1, 2021 and at least once a year every following year;
2. All new employees hired after February 1, 2020 at the time of hire; and
3. Individual employees when the employer receives direct notice after February 1, 2020 of the employee’s need for leave for an event that could qualify for PFL benefits.

The employee PFL notice can be downloaded here.

Employment Opportunities:

Chief of Benefits

Supervisory Tax Examiner- Status/Registration 

Paid Family Leave Benefits Regulations

The Director of the Department of Employment Services (DOES), pursuant to the authority set forth in the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, effective April 7, 2017 (D.C. Law 21-264; D.C. Official Code § 32-541.01 et seq.) (the “Act”), and Mayor’s Order 2018-36, dated March 29, 2018, hereby gives notice of the intent to amend Title 7 (Employment Benefits) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) by adding a new Chapter 35 (Paid Leave Benefits). Click here to view the Paid Family Leave Final Benefits Regulations.

 

Paid Family Leave Final Tax Regulations

The Director of the Department of Employment Services (DOES), pursuant to the authority set forth in the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, effective April 7, 2017 (D.C. Law 21-264; D.C. Official Code §§ 32-541.01 et seq. (2018 Supp.)) (the “Act”), and Mayor’s Order 2018-036, dated March 29, 2018, hereby gives notice of the intent to amend Title 7 (Employment Benefits) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) by adding a new Chapter 34 (Paid Leave Contributions). Click here to view the Paid Family Leave Final Tax Regulations.

 

Public Notice to District of Columbia Employers And Employees for Paid Family Leave

Visit Outreach & Engagement Events for more information or to register for upcoming PFL events. 

Resources:

• Paid Family Leave Employee Notice ((French))
• Paid Family Leave Q4 FY19 Report
• Paid Family Leave FY20 Q1 Report
• DOES Office of Paid Family Leave Website
• Paid Family Leave Payment Form
• Paid Family Leave Final Tax Regulations
• Paid Family Leave Proposed Tax Regulations Comment Matrix
• Paid Family Leave Benefit Regulations
• Universal Paid Family Leave Amendment Act of 2016
• Employer Instructions for PFL Employee Exceptions
• Employer Cover Letter- PFL Exceptions Request
• Employee Acknowledgement Letter for PFL Exceptions
• PFL Employer FAQ 
• For Employers (PFL30 Form)
• For Household Domestic Employers (PFL30H Form)
• PFL Self Employed Individual FAQ 
• PFL 2019 SEI Registration Form
• PFL Employer Toolkit
• PFL Tax Payment Instructions for Employers
• PFL Tax Payment Instructions for SEI
• PFL Tax Payment Instructions for Small Employer Non ESSP
• Paid Family Leave Quarterly Progress Reports

Paid Family Leave
Weekly Benefit Calculator
 

If you are eligible for Paid Family Leave in the District of Columbia, you may receive a weekly benefit amount which is based on your weekly wages.
The current maximum weekly benefit amount is $1,000.
The calculation will be based off of a minimum wage of $15 per hour.

The calculator below will provide you an estimate of your weekly benefit amount.

 

Enter your Average Weekly Wages:
(Gross wages, before taxes)

 

 

 

Submit
 

Your estimated Weekly Benefit Amount:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REMINDER: This benefit calculator only provides an estimate of your weekly benefit amount and does not guarantee the payment of paid leave benefits. Eligibility is determined once your claim has been processed and approved.

 

Paid Family Leave
Quarterly Tax Calculator
 

Private-sector employers in the District will pay a .62% tax beginning July 1, 2019, to fund the paid-leave benefit. The Paid Family Leave tax is 100% employer-funded and may not be deducted from a worker’s paycheck.

The calculator below will provide you with an estimate of your quarterly tax amount.

 

Enter your Quarterly Wages:
(Gross wages)

 

 

 

Submit
 

Your estimated Quarterly Tax Amount:
(Gross wages x .0062)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: This tax calculator only provides an estimate of your quarterly tax amount. Actual tax liability is not determined by this calculator. Liability is determined based on the wages that are submitted to the Office of Paid Family Leave.