Washington D.C. has a Paid Family Medical Leave (PFL) program that went live in 2020 to provide paid leave for parental, medical, or family care leaves. The program was amended in 2022 to increase the total number of weeks and include prenatal leave. Unlike other state programs like California, that’s funded by employee contributions, DC PFL does not offer any job protection, but it is paid by the city and funded by employer tax. It may run with any private short term disability (STD) plans and can be a bit challenging for first-time applicants, so here’s what you need to know about applying for parental leave in Washington D.C.
Parents in Washington D.C. with employers that opted into the program can take advantage of the PFL program to support their family's needs whether they’re expecting a baby, adopting, or fostering. Birthing and non-birthing parents, dads, adoptive and foster parents can all apply through the Office of Paid Family Leave (OPFL). Unlike other states, even self-employed parents who opted into the program and pay the employer tax can receive benefits.
Parents can receive up to 12 weeks of maternity leave or paternity leave within a 52-week period. Unique to DC’s PFL program, birthing parents may be eligible for an additional 2 weeks of Prenatal Leave for medical care related to pregnancy (such as appointments, not disability leave).
For birthing parents, a private or self-insured short term disability (STD) plan will likely run concurrently with DC PFL and be reduced by PFL benefits. Please refer to the company policy or speak with the company’s HR department. This is separate from the 2 weeks of prenatal leave for appointments.
Benefits are payable from day 1 of your parental leave, as long as the child has been born or placed. There is no waiting period for DC PFL benefits.
The benefit amount ranges between 50% and 90% of your wages, up to 1.5 times DC’s minimum wage, with a maximum benefit of $1,049 per week. For detailed information on how your benefits are calculated, download the PFL Employee Handbook. You can also get an estimate from DC’s Benefit Calculator.
You may file for DC PFL following a qualifying parental leave event, generally after the birth or placement of a child. Birthing parents can file for Prenatal Leave prior to the birth to plan ahead, and any Prenatal Leave (e.g. attending doctor’s appointments) taken before the birth of a child does not count against the 12 weeks of PFL.
Even with Washington DC’s PFL program, paid parental leave is still limited, especially for birthing parents where pregnancy disability is combined with the bonding leave after the disability ends. Parento is the leading provider of paid parental leave insurance, helping every company affordably offer up to 16 weeks at 100% pay, to fill that gap in paid leave for their employees.
Chat with our sales team for more information or visit Gimme Parental Leave if you're a parent!
