Early Lessons from Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave

Abstract

Washington State’s sickness benefit scheme―Paid Family and Medical Leave―has, from its inception on, been implemented predicated on the big principle: “Offering benefits without discrimination based on income level, gender, industry, or kind of job.” In the two years following the program’s official introduction in January 2020, over 300,000 workers have benefited from the system. Such a large number of beneficiaries, far more than had been anticipated earlier, led to a slew of operational issues that weighed heavily on the program. This study looks at how Washington State’s sickness benefit scheme works and what problems it has had, and draws out some implications for Korea as it begins to establish its own system.