Reminder to DC Employers to Provide Paid Family Leave Notice

As the District of Columbia prepares for the start of paid family leave benefits in July 2020, employers must notify employees by February 1, 2020 of their rights to such benefits.

As we discussed in our December 2016 E-Update, the Act, which covers only private sector workers, guarantees eight weeks of paid time for new parents, six weeks of paid time to care for a family member who is experiencing a serious health condition, and two weeks of paid personal sick time. Employers with employees in D.C. and paying unemployment insurance for those employees are subject to the Act.

The D.C. Department of Employment Services has an Office of Paid Family Leave (OPFL), which has launched a website to assist employers with compliance. The official notice of the Act, which must be posted in all work locations by February 1, 2020, is available there. The notice must be sent to remote employees for posting in their own location. In addition, the notice must be provided: (1) upon hiring; (2) annually thereafter; and (3) when potentially covered leave is requested.