The District of Columbia amended its Universal Paid Leave Insurance Program to temporarily reduce the duration of certain paid family and medical leave benefits and lower the maximum weekly benefit amount. Changes took effect on October 1, 2026. The District began administering paid family leave benefits on July 1, 2020. The program provides eligible workers with paid leave benefits to care for themselves and their families during qualifying life events. The program is funded entirely by employer contributions through payroll taxes. Covered employers are nonprofit and for-profit private employers that pay DC unemployment insurance taxes for one (1) or more employees. Covered employees are generally those who spend at least 50 percent of their work time in DC.
The amendments to the Universal Paid Leave Program include the following changes:
- Temporary reductions in leave durations from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2030. Family leave (to care for a family member with a serious illness) is reduced from 12 workweeks to six (6) workweeks,; medical leave (to care for the employee’s own serious health condition) is reduced from 12 workweeks to 10 workweeks; Parental leave remains unchanged at 12 workweeks; and prenatal leave remains unchanged at two (2) workweeks.
- Lower maximum weekly benefit – The maximum employee weekly benefit amount is reduced from $1,190 to $1,100 for claims filed on or after October 1, 2026. DC may increase the cap in the future to reflect inflation if sufficient Universal Paid Leave funds are available to support the adjustment.
- Unchanged employer contribution rate. The employer payroll tax contribution rate remains at 0.75 percent of covered employee wages. Employee earnings are not subject to withholdings to cover this expense.
As of now, for claims filed on or after October 1, 2030, the maximum duration for each type of paid-leave benefits within a 52-week workweek period will be:
- 12 workweeks of qualifying parental leave;
- 12 workweeks of qualifying family leave;
- 12 workweeks of qualifying medical leave; and
- 2 workweeks of qualifying pre-
Additional information on this update can be found using the two links below:
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-541.04
https://dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov/
Below is the updated “Notice to Employees-Information on Paid Family Leave in the District of Columbia”
What Should Employers Do?
Employers should review their existing leave policies, update employee handbooks and communications, and ensure employees understand the changes.
Questions About These Changes?
Our team at FosterThomas is happy to help employers understand these updates, reveiw their existing benefits, and navigate ongoing HR compliance requirements.