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November spotlight: Employers, Paid Leave Oregon is Here

How to Prepare for Contributions

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, employers will start withholding contributions for Paid Leave Oregon. 

What are Paid Leave Oregon contributions, and where do they go?

  • Large employers and all employees, regardless of employer size, will start paying contributions to the program on January 1. The money will go into a trust fund that begins paying benefits in September 2023.
  • Contributions pay for employee’s Paid Leave benefits, grants to help small employers when their employees use paid leave, and for program administration.

As an employer, how can I prepare to collect contributions? 

  • Use the employer toolkit as a quick-start guide. The toolkit includes the required notice poster, an employer guidebook, videos, and sample social posts that employers and partners can use to share information with their employees and networks.
  • For more detailed questions, visit PaidLeave.Oregon.gov and check out the resources page. We have fact sheets, guidebooks, video overviews, and much more!
  • If you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, use our Contact Us form. We strive to answer all questions in two business days.  

What if I need help using Frances Online? 

  • All employers will use Frances Online to submit the contributions they have withheld from their employees’ paychecks. Large employers will use Frances Online to pay their own contributions as well.
  • The Frances Online support page provides multiple levels of support depending on what you need. We have FAQs, infographics, a chat bot, and multiple ways to connect with staff, including by email and phone.

Changing how we count employees

Paid Leave Oregon has changed the way we count employees to determine which employers are large and which are small, which affects if they pay contributions or not. We made this change based on partner and community feedback, as it has been a consistent area of confusion since we started Community Conversations and other engagement meetings. This change also aligns Paid Leave more closely with the way employees are counted for the Unemployment Insurance program.

What is changing – We are adjusting the way we count employees.

  • Previously, we counted employer size as the average number of employees over the previous four quarters using payroll reports.
  • Now, employers count their size using the average number of employees on the 12th of each month from the previous twelve months. This means there are twelve numbers to calculate the average instead of just four.

We have created a temporary rule that reflects this change in how employer size is calculated. You can reference the temporary rule on employer size for more details.

We have posted a guide for employer size instructions to help employers determine their employee count. Our employee count message has more details including what is not changing.

PERS and Paid Leave

The Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) featured Paid Leave Oregon in its September newsletter. In the newsletter, employers and employees can find details on how PERS may treat Paid Leave Oregon payments

Statewide media campaign launched

On Nov. 14, Paid Leave Oregon launched a statewide media campaign to notify Oregon employers about their role and responsibilities in the new program. 

The campaign aims to make sure employers are ready to participate in the program and includes radio, print, social, and digital advertising – all featuring Oregon employers. Check out this new video that explains the program for employers.   

Benefits will be available to employees in September 2023, and a second statewide campaign focusing on employee outreach begins in 2023. 

Upcoming events

Paid Leave Oregon continues its Community Conversations through 2022. This is an opportunity for employers, employees, and community members to learn more about the Paid Leave Oregon program.

The virtual webinars include a 20-minute overview presentation by a member of the Paid Leave Oregon team, followed by time for questions and answers.

All sessions have American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish interpreters.

Opportunities to join Paid Leave Oregon and OED 

Are you passionate about helping others and ensuring businesses, small employers, and employees are treated fairly? Consider joining the Paid Leave Oregon team at the Oregon Employment Department. Job openings are posted under Employment Department in Workday.

Contact Paid Leave Oregon