Paid Leave Oregon benefits begin Sept. 3

Employees can take up to 12 weeks of paid family, medical or safe leave.

Published on August 7, 2023

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Paid Leave Oregon is a new program that allows employees in Oregon who have earned at least $1,000 in the prior year to take up to 12 weeks of paid family, medical or safe leave within a benefit year.

After considering the best approach to provide this benefit to Asante employees, leaders have chosen to participate in Paid Leave Oregon through a fully insured private plan administered by MetLife. This program is made possible through collaborative funding by Asante and our employees via payroll deduction, which will begin in September.

While on leave, MetLife pays employees a percentage of their wages. The benefit amount will depend on what the employee has earned the previous year. Employees who receive benefits through the Paid Leave Oregon program will be able to supplement those benefits with Asante earned accruals of ESDP, ETO and if elected at open enrollment, short-term disability programs, up to 100% income replacement.

Employees will contribute to our Paid Leave Oregon equivalent plan through a payroll deduction. Employees contribute 60% of the set contribution rate, and Asante covers the remaining 40%.

For 2023, the set contribution rate is 1% of up to $132,900 in earned wages. Your individual employee contribution rate for 2023 will be .6% of earned wages up to $132,900 or 60% of 1%. For example, if you made $1,000 in wages, you would see a $6 payroll deduction for this paycheck. Asante will deduct your portion of the contribution rate from your paycheck beginning in September 2023. In return for this payroll deduction, all qualified Asante employees will have access to the benefits of this program once it goes live.

The leave of absence request process will be very similar once Paid Leave Oregon takes effect. If an employee needs to request an intermittent or continuous leave of absence for a serious health condition, they will submit a new leave request in MyAsanteTime 30 days in advance if the leave is foreseeable.

After submitting a new leave request, the employee will receive an email with certification paperwork, the amount of time they have available, and other important information. They will also learn what they need to do next to certify their leave. This email includes information on how to apply for and use Paid Leave Oregon and short-term disability benefits.

When Paid Leave Oregon goes live on Sept. 3 Asante will change from a “rolling backward” benefit year for FMLA/OFLA leave entitlements to a “measure forward” benefit year. For details, see the employee memo sent out on June 30.

This change is in response to recent legislation that aligns Paid Leave Oregon, OFLA and FMLA so that all three leave entitlements are coordinated. Asante’s intent is to make these leave programs easier to understand and to provide employees with the maximum leave protections available by law.