What’s Oregon’s Paid Leave Law? (2025): Coverage, Eligibility, and Application Process

Oregon has expanded its benefits under Paid Leave Oregon, while also adjusting how these changes interact with existing protections like the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA). For HR and payroll teams, knowing which leave applies, who’s eligible, and how wage replacement and job protections work will help you stay compliant and support your workforce.

In this guide, we break down what’s changing with Paid Leave Oregon, explain how it fits alongside OFLA, and outline the application process. You’ll also get practical tips to manage leave more effectively and avoid common compliance mistakes.

At Deel, we help companies navigate US and state-specific leave requirements every day. This guide is designed to give you the clarity and confidence to apply Oregon’s leave laws the right way, so you can focus on building a stronger, more supported team.

Oregon unpaid leave

Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for qualifying family and medical reasons. The law covers employers with 25 or more employees and generally runs concurrently with the federal FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), so workers receive whichever protection is more favorable.

Learn more: State-by-State Guide to Maternity Leave in the United States

What OFLA covers

Oregon combines parental and family leave into one 12-week allowance every 12 months under OFLA. Employees can mix and match leave reasons within that cap.

Additional provisions may include up to 12 extra weeks for pregnancy-related disability and up to 4 weeks for bereavement leave, depending on eligibility.

Interested in offloading HR and payroll tasks to an expert? Learn how you can use a PEO (professional employer organization) in Oregon.

Eligibility and applicability

Employee eligibility

Employees are eligible for OFLA leave if they have worked for their employer for at least 180 days and averaged 25 hours per week during that time. For parental leave only, the 25-hour requirement may be waived.

Employer applicability

OFLA applies to private employers with 25 or more employees in Oregon. All public sector employers are also covered.

Job protection and benefits

Employees on OFLA leave are entitled to be reinstated to the same or an equivalent position with equal pay and benefits. Group health insurance must be continued under the same terms.

See also: Your Ultimate Guide to Oregon Payroll

How to apply

Employees must provide at least 30 days’ notice for foreseeable leave. If the need for leave is unforeseeable, notice must be given as soon as practicable.

Employers may request medical certification to confirm the need for leave due to serious health conditions or other covered events.

Oregon Parental and Family Leave and the FMLA

OFLA leave runs concurrently with the FMLA when both apply. Employees receive the more generous provisions available under either law. If a leave qualifies under both programs, the time taken typically counts against both.

See also: An Employer's State-by-State Guide to Paid Sick Leave in the US

Oregon’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave program

Beginning September 2023, the state launched Paid Leave Oregon, offering up to:

• 12 weeks of paid leave for qualifying events
• Up to 14 weeks if the employee experiences pregnancy-related complications

Employees receive up to 100% wage replacement (based on income, up to a cap). Paid leave is available for:

• Bonding with a new child
• Caring for a family member with a serious health condition
• Recovering from the employee’s own serious health condition
• Dealing with issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or harassment

Rollout phases:

• Jan 1, 2023: Payroll contributions began
• Sept 3, 2023: Benefits available to employees
• July 1, 2024: OFLA and Paid Leave Oregon no longer run concurrently
• Jan 1, 2025: Paid Leave Oregon expands to cover adoption/foster placement legal processes

Oregon paid leave vs unpaid leave (2025)

Here’s how Oregon’s paid leave and unpaid leave differ in terms of eligibility, duration, coverage, and more.

Note: OFLA no longer runs together with Paid Leave Oregon. Eligible employees may draw on either OFLA or Paid Leave Oregon for qualifying events, but not both simultaneously.

Streamline payroll and hiring in Oregon with Deel

New to managing parental and family leave in Oregon? With Deel PEO you can offload compliance risks and administrative processes to experts. You can also use Deel US Payroll to simplify payroll processing in all 50 states.

• Fully in-house operations: Deel’s team handles everything end-to-end
• Expert payroll, HR, and benefits compliance: Stay ahead of complex regulations
• Exclusive Aetna International health plans: Access health insurance options that cover your US W-2 employees globally
• 60+ domestic benefit plans: Competitive benefits tailored to US employees
• Trainings, written policies, and HR support: All the tools you need to manage leave confidently

Ready to simplify Oregon leave compliance? Book a 30-minute call with our experts.