The Employment Security Department recently announced that premium rates for the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program will be changing next year.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026:

• The premium rate will increase from 0.92% to 1.13% of your gross wages.
• Employers will pay 28.57% of the total premium and employees will pay 71.43%. This is a slight change from 2025 when the ratio was employer 28.48% and employee 71.52%.

The Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program is funded by mandatory premiums collected from employees and employers in Washington state. By law, the Employment Security Department recalculates the premium rate annually in October based on program usage and premiums collected the previous year.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, you will see the new contribution amounts in the Employee Taxes section of your pay advice. The deductions are shown in two parts: family coverage is “WA FLI/EE” and medical coverage is “WA MLI/EE.”

For more information, go to paidleave.wa.gov/updates or contact the Employment Security Department at 833-717-2273.