Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave

The State of Oregon's Paid Leave Oregon program provides paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, an employee or family member’s serious illness or injury, or for employees who are or have dependents who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, bias or stalking.

The University of Oregon’s Paid Leave Oregon equivalent program is administered by The Standard. We call it Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). 

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Overview and Eligibility

Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) is an equivalent plan under the state-mandated Paid Leave Oregon program. PFML is administered by The Standard. The Standard already administers the UO's short- and long-term disability programs, so they are well positioned to provide accurate and timely service and claim processing support to our employees using PFML.

To file a claim, employees should contact The Standard directly. They should not file a UO claim through the state's Paid Leave Oregon program. 

All employees who work in Oregon are eligible as of their date of hire. Employees working and residing out of state are ineligible. Additionally, if an employee has worked for the UO for at least 90 days prior to the start of their leave, their job is protected while they're on PFML.

The contribution rate as of September 2023 is 1 percent of wages up to $168,600 annually. Employees pay sixty percent of the contribution, and the university pays forty percent on their behalf. 

  • For example, if an employee's gross pay is $1,000:
    • The tax is one percent of $1,000, or $10.
    • The employee contributes sixty percent, or $6, via payroll deduction; the university contributes forty percent, or $4.

How to File a Claim

Administrative Roles and Responsibilities 

After an employee files a PFML claim, the employee and several offices have responsibilities to keep the claim up to date and accurate:

OfficeResponsibilities
Employee
  • Notifies home unit and The Standard, 30 days prior to leave start, when possible.
  • Initiates PFML claim directly with The Standard, 30 days prior to leave start, when possible.
  • Returns PFML-related forms to the UO benefits office in a timely manner.
  • Returns required certifications to The Standard within 30 days.
  • Follows home unit's call-in procedures.
  • Coordinates top-off leave usage with unit payroll administrator. Employee must report leave usage to receive top-off pay from UO.
  • Consistently checks preferred email for leave-related communications from UO Benefits.
The Standard
  • Processes claim initiation with employee.
  • Requests employment and wage verification from UO benefits office.
  • Determines employee eligibility and benefit payment amount.
  • Notifies UO of new claims and claim updates.
  • Processes changes to PFML claims.
  • Distributes PFML benefit payments to employees.
  • Acts as main point of contact for employee PFML claim inquiries.
UO Benefits Office
  • Overall administration of UO’s PFML program.
  • Notifies supervisor, unit, and Payroll office of pending PFML claims.
  • Reviews eligibility for FMLA, OFLA or other UO leave programs.
  • Requests information from employee.
  • Submits documents to The Standard.
  • Notifies employee, supervisors, units, and Payroll office of claim updates, as necessary.
  • Coordinates with Payroll to ensure accurate PFML payroll processing.
UO Payroll Office
  • Makes changes to employee positions in Banner.
  • Processes top-off pay as submitted by the unit.
Unit HR/Payroll
  • Respond to requests from and provide information to UO Benefits Office.
  • Answer high-level employee questions about the PFML process.
  • Remind employees to watch for time-sensitive email correspondence from the benefits office.
  • Ensure employees enter their PFML top-off hours into their timesheets correctly.

The unit should not submit a PRF to start PFML or to change the employee’s FTE. UO Benefits and UO Payroll coordinate this.

Required Notice

Units are required to post the Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave poster in the workplace: