{"id":98,"date":"2025-09-05T15:26:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hr.uw.edu\/time-absence\/?page_id=98"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:17:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T20:17:37","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hr.uw.edu\/time-absence\/fmla-and-pfml\/paid-family-and-medical-leave\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently asked questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

This page applies to all staff, academic personnel, and student employees performing work in the state of Washington.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What is the difference between FMLA and PFML?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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The federal Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is an unpaid leave entitlement that provides job and health insurance protection when eligible employees take a leave of absence for a qualifying reason. For more information, visit the FMLA webpages<\/a>. The Washington State Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program is a state of Washington program that provides partial wage replacement in the form of a weekly benefit paid by ESD while claiming this benefit.<\/p>\n

The University determines when to designate a leave as FMLA covered. Employees choose whether and when to file a PFML claim. PFML does not replace FMLA. In many cases PFML and FMLA will run at the same time.<\/p>\n

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<\/th>\nPFML<\/th>\nFMLA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Coverage by location<\/th>\nWork performed in State of Washington.<\/td>\nWork performed for UW in United States.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eligibility<\/th>\nMust have been employed 820 hours in the state of WA in the qualifying period.<\/td>\nMust have worked 12 months and 1,250 hours for the State of WA (incl. UW) prior to start of FMLA leave.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Job protection<\/th>\nMust have begun employment with UW or State of Washington at least 180 calendar days before taking leave.<\/td>\nMust have worked 12 months and 1,250 hours for the State of WA (incl. UW) prior to start of FMLA leave and experience a qualifying event.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pay<\/th>\nUp to 90 percent of your average weekly wages capped at $1,647 per week in 2026.<\/td>\nUnpaid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Use of accrued paid and time off<\/th>\nCan choose whether to use accrued UW paid time off on top of money received from ESD.<\/td>\nUse faculty paid sick leave or accrued UW paid time off otherwise leave is unpaid.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Covered circumstances<\/th>\n\n
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  • Caring for your own or family member’s serious health condition.<\/li>\n
  • Bonding with newborn, newly adopted or foster child.<\/li>\n
  • Qualifying military exigency.<\/li>\n
  • Following the death of a child when you expected to use leave for the child’s birth or to bond after birth or placement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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  • Caring for your own or family member’s serious health condition.<\/li>\n
  • Bonding with newborn, newly adopted or foster child.<\/li>\n
  • Qualifying military exigency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How to apply<\/th>\nApply for paid benefits online or by mail at the Employment Security Department.<\/td>\nFollow established UW processes to request a leave of absence and record paid or unpaid time off. UW will designate the FMLA period.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Employee notice to UW<\/th>\nProvide written notice at least 30 days before you plan to take PFML leave (may or may not be same date you first take leave from UW). Provide notice as soon as you can to if your leave is not planned.<\/td>\nProvide notice at least 30 days before you plan to take leave for a circumstance covered by FMLA. Provide notice as soon as you can if your leave is not planned.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length of leave of absence<\/th>\nUp to 12-16 weeks a year depending on qualifying condition, measured forward from first day of PFML leave (up to 18 weeks if you have pregnancy complications).<\/td>\nUp to 12 weeks a year, measured looking backward from first day of FMLA leave.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Increment of leave<\/th>\nMinimum of 4 consecutive hours.<\/td>\nMinimum of 15 minutes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maintenance of employer portion of healthcare premium<\/th>\nMust have been employed with UW or the State of Washington 180 days before taking leave (same as job protection).<\/td>\nMust have worked for an employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours prior to start of FMLA leave.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Family Member Definition<\/th>\nLike FMLA, but also includes grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, in-laws, and individuals who rely on you for care.<\/td>\nChild, parent, spouse and domestic partner (FMLA definition), siblings, grandparents and in-laws (expanded UW family member definition)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

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Will this give me extra time off?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
While PFML is not an accrued type of UW time off, if eligible, it provides partial wage replacement in the form of a weekly benefit paid by ESD while claiming this benefit and may provide job protection for your time away and maintenance of the employer portion of your health insurance.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Do you have to be in a completely unpaid status to benefit from PFML?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
No. The UW has designated certain earned paid time off such as vacation and sick time off as a \u201csupplemental benefit<\/a>,\u201d so you do not need to be in unpaid status to receive the PFML benefit from ESD.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I am a cyclic or academic year employee who does not work in the summer, but I have a qualifying condition occurring in the summer. Can I request PFML?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
Yes, you may file a claim to receive PFML partial wage replacement for periods when you are not working at the UW and\/or no longer work at UW.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Can I take PFML intermittently?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
Yes. The minimum claim is four (4) consecutive hours.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Do I need to submit medical documentation to UW to take a medical leave if I have already submitted medical documentation to ESD to receive PFML benefits?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
Yes. ESD and the UW cannot share medical documentation. Filing a claim for paid leave benefits with ESD is a separate process from taking a leave of absence from the University. Whenever possible, employees should begin a leave of absence by following the appropriate UW process, including submitting medical documentation (e.g., a FMLA Health Care Provider Statement). ESD may accept medical documentation you have already provided to UW as support for your PFML claim.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Can I receive workers compensation and PFML benefits at the same time?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
No. For each week you are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you are disqualified from receiving PFML benefits.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Can I take parental leave for baby bonding intermittently?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
Yes. PFML allows employees to take intermittent leave for baby bonding.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How will an employee account for their absence while on approved PFML?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
Time offs must be entered for each work day of a leave of absence. Visit How to file for PFML webpage<\/a> for more information about time off choices including supplemental benefits.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Applying for PFML<\/h4>\n
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Can I submit a request retroactively for a leave of absence I have already taken?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
PFML leave requests can be filed with ESD retroactively for \u201cgood cause\u201d as outlined in WAC 192-610-040<\/a>. Employees should give notice at least 30 days in advance and file PFML leave of absence requests in advance of the leave.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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If my circumstances change and I need to be on leave more than I thought, whom do I contact?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
As always, first follow the established leave request or extension processes<\/a>. Next, contact ESD to file (or reopen) a weekly claim for PFML benefits.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How does the PFML waiting period work?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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For medical leaves of absence or reasons related to a military exigency, there is a waiting period of up to seven days prior to receiving partial wage replacement from ESD; there is no waiting period for parental leaves of absence. Your “waiting week” is the first week you are approved to file a weekly claim. Claim weeks always end on Saturday night. If the qualifying event occurred mid-week, the “waiting week” may be less than a week. During the waiting week, you may use paid time off, including vacation or sick days. If the first week of your paid family or medical leave happens before you receive your approval letter and are able to begin filing weekly claims, that first week still counts as your waiting week.<\/p>\n

Example: Your medical leave start date is January 13 and you receive your ESD approval letter on January 22. Once you are approved and can file weekly claims, the first week of your approved leave is your waiting week, so the first week you can claim is the week of January 19.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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ESD’s employer drop-down lists more than one account for the University of Washington. What should I use?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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The correct UBI to use for filing a PFML claim is 178019988.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How does the UW get notified of the approval of my PFML claim? What can I do if I have been approved by ESD but UWHR wasn’t notified?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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UW should receive a paper copy of the same approval notice you receive from ESD through regular mail. On occasion, UW has not received the employer copy.\u00a0 If your claim has been approved<\/u>, and you would like to help us expedite the approval in Workday, you can email screenshots or a copy of the approval you received from ESD to your leave and accommodation specialist<\/a>. An acceptable approval includes employee name, approved dates, claim type (Family or Medical), Claim ID #, and Claim Status (Approved).<\/p>\n

\"Claim<\/p>\n

Picture of information that can be sent to UWHR as a screenshot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What should my leave notice to my manager include?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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Sample email notice for a general leave of absence:<\/i><\/p>\n

SUBJECT: PFML leave of absence notice [YOUR NAME]
\nDear [MANAGER],
\nThis is to notify you that I plan to take (TYPE OF LEAVE: MEDICAL LEAVE\/ FAMILY LEAVE\/ COMBINATION OF BOTH) starting (DATE).
\nI expect to be gone for (NUMBER OF DAYS\/WEEKS) and hope to return (DATE).<\/p>\n

Sample email notice for an intermittent leave of absence:<\/em><\/p>\n

SUBJECT: PFML intermittent leave of absence notice [YOUR NAME]
\nDear [MANAGER],
\nThis is to notify you that I plan to take MEDICAL LEAVE\/ FAMILY LEAVE intermittently starting ____(DATE)____.
\nI expect to be gone __ (NUMBER OF DAYS PER WEEK\/MONTH and\/or HOURS PER DAY and\/or DAYS OF THE WEEK (\u201c2 days a week for 8 hours a day\u201d or \u201cevery other Thursday\u201d).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What types of University appointments are ineligible for PFML?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
While anyone receiving hourly or salary pay may be eligible for PFML, individuals receiving pay that is not considered \u201cwages\u201d or are in appointments that are not paid are ineligible for PFML. These include, but are not limited to, fee-based appointments, stipend recipients, unpaid academics, contingent workers, and agency temps.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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PFML and getting paid<\/h4>\n
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How much money will I get from PFML if I file a claim?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
ESD will determine how much you will receive. Payments are based on a percentage of your typical weekly earnings. You can estimate your amount using ESD’s payment calculator<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What information is available about federal taxation of PFML benefits?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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ESD’s guidance on federal taxation can be found on the How can we help? webpage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Do I receive paid holidays during a PFML leave of absence?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
Typical holiday pay rules<\/a> apply during a PFML leave of absence.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How do I correct previously entered time offs in Workday after I am approved to use PFML supplemental benefit time offs (e.g., replace “Sick time off” with “Sick time off \u2013 PFML”)?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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Corrections can only be done once the leave of absence for PFML has already been entered (not just approved). The best way to correct a time off entry is to change the Type (see green box below) from a regular time off type to a \u201cPFML\u201d time off type.<\/p>\n

Deleting the row or updating the quantity to zero and then entering a new time off transaction (orange boxes) is not recommended. Doing so requires that the deleted entries be approved and may result in errors if individuals do not have large enough time off balances to accommodate all \u201cin process\u201d time off request transactions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What information will I be asked to provide when I submit my weekly claim?<\/i><\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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You will be asked:<\/p>\n