What is the District of Columbia Paid Family Leave program?
District of Columbia Paid Family Leave (PFL) is a benefit that provides eligible workers with paid family leave to help working families balance caring for their loved ones with their economic security during a qualifying event such as the birth of a child, providing care for a family member with a serious health condition, or your own serious health condition.
Who is eligible for this benefit?
Workers are eligible for PFL benefits if they are employed by a covered employer and spend more than 50% of the time they spend working for that employer (including teleworking) in the District.
There is no minimum time amount required to be eligible for this benefit, however employees must have worked for an eligible employer in the District, worked and earned income in at least 1 of the last 5 covered quarters, and had those wages reported by their covered employer.
Self-employed individuals may opt into this benefit, and seasonal or temporary workers may be eligible for PFL benefits if they meet certain specifications.
How are premiums collected?
This benefit is 100% funded by employers and may not be deducted from an employee’s paycheck.
When can covered employees claim these benefits?
There are four types of covered events for which employees may be able to claim PFL benefits. It’s also important to note that no matter how many qualifying events or claims an eligible employee makes, they can only receive a maximum of up to 12 weeks of PFL benefits from the District in a year since benefits were first paid to you.
| What is the leave for? | What events allow eligible employees to receive benefits? | Maximum Benefit Duration | |
| Prenatal Leave | Receive benefits to receive medical care related to your pregnancy |
- You can take prenatal to leave to:
|
Up to 2 weeks in a year |
|
Parental Leave |
Receive benefits to bond with a new child |
- In the last year one of the following events happened:
|
Up to 12 weeks in a year |
| Family Leave | Receive benefits to care for a family member |
- A family member requires care or companionship from an eligible employee while experiencing a serious health condition (as defined in the Medical Leave section below) - The family member must also be related to the eligible employee in one of the following ways:
|
Up to 12 weeks in a year |
| Medical Leave | Receive benefits for your own serious health condition |
- The eligible employee must have a serious health condition that prevents them from working/attending school/ performing regular activities of daily living - Serious health condition is defined as any condition that makes one of the two following statements true:
|
Up to 12 weeks in a year |
How are benefits calculated?
Employee’s benefits are calculated based on their average weekly wages prior to leave.
The District has created this calculator on its DOES resource page for simplicity, but as a reminder, the benefit calculator only provides an estimate of a weekly benefit amount and does not guarantee the payment of paid leave benefits. Eligibility is determined once a claim has been submitted.
How can covered employees file claims?
PFL claims should be filed directly with the District following the instructions found here. Employees of Justworks customers should use the following details for their employer of record name and address information:
Justworks Employment Group LLC
PO Box 7119
Church Street Station
New York, NY 10008-7119
Employer action required for claims processing will come directly to Justworks and we will reach out to customers for details when necessary.
Additional Information
DC Paid Family Leave: DC PFL Homepage
DC Paid Family Leave: Employer Information
DC Paid Family Leave: Employee Handbook
DC Paid Family Leave: How to Apply For Benefits
Disclaimer
This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, legal or tax advice. If you have any legal or tax questions regarding this content or related issues, then you should consult with your professional legal or tax advisor.