Oregon Maternity Leave Calculator
How much leave do you actually get? See your Paid Leave Oregon benefit, 12-week single bucket math, and job protection for 2026.
Paid Leave Oregon has the most generous replacement structure in the country — 100% of wages up to 65% of the state average weekly wage ($886/week), then 50% above, capped at $1,636.56/week (which is 120% of SAWW — the highest cap-relative-to-SAWW of any state PFML). The catch: a single 12-week bucket covers medical, family, and safe leave combined, so birthing parents see bonding shortened (vaginal: 2 weeks; C-section: 0 weeks unless certified pregnancy-related complications extend the bucket to 14 weeks). Job protection kicks in at 90 days tenure and applies to virtually every employer.
About you · step 1
so far: OR
What state do you work in?
Are you covered?
- Earned $1,000+ from Oregon employers in your qualifying period
- Paid Leave Oregon coverage is automatic for most OR W-2 employees
- OFLA (state job protection): 25+ employee employer + 180 days tenure
- FMLA available as separate federal protection at 50+ employee employers
What a typical Oregon birthing parent gets
For an employee earning $75,000 per year, vaginal delivery, working 12+ months at a 50+ employee company:
12 weeks total · 12 paid · 0 unpaid · $13,973 wage replacement
- Pre-birth disability $4,658
- Recovery (vaginal) $6,986
- Bonding leave $2,329
Oregon's programs
- Paid Leave Oregon Medical
- $1,000+ OR earnings in qualifying period; medical recovery
- Paid Leave Oregon Family
- Same eligibility; 12 weeks bonding leave
- OFLA
- 25+ employee employer + 180 days tenure; state job protection
- FMLA
- 50+ employee employer + 12 months tenure + 1,250 hours; federal job protection
Oregon runs Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) through the Oregon Employment Department (OED), with job protection built into the same law (and reinforced by the Oregon Family Leave Act, OFLA, for unpaid extensions).
PLO covers three leave categories: Medical Leave for your own serious health condition (including pregnancy and childbirth recovery), Family Leave for bonding with a new child or caring for a family member, and Safe Leave for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. All three combine under a single 12-week bucket per 52-week period — structurally similar to Connecticut and Colorado. Pregnant employees with certified pregnancy-related medical needs can extend the bucket by up to 2 additional weeks (14 total — matches CT; less generous than CO's +4 weeks).
The wage replacement formula is two-tier piecewise:
- 100% replacement on weekly wages up to 65% of SAWW (= $886.47 in 2026)
- 50% replacement on the portion above
- Hard-capped at 120% of SAWW = $1,636.56/week
- The 100% tier-1 rate is the highest of any state PFML — lower earners get full salary replacement
- A typical $80,000 earner receives approximately $1,212/week
PLO has no waiting period — workers are paid from day 1 of approved leave.
Eligibility and how to apply
Eligibility. PLO requires earnings of at least $1,000 in subject wages during your base year (the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters) or alternate base year. Self-employment income counts toward the $1,000 threshold for self-employed workers who opted in. There is no employer-tenure requirement for benefits — you just need the earnings history. Federal employees working in Oregon are not covered by PLO and have access to the federal Paid Parental Leave Act for 12 weeks of bonding leave. Tribal-government employees are not auto-covered but their tribe can opt in via intergovernmental agreement with the State of Oregon. Elected officials, judges, and public office holders are not eligible. Local government employees are covered (political subdivisions count as employers — different from Colorado where local governments could opt out). Self-employed workers can opt into PLO by paying 0.6% of net self-employment income up to the Social Security taxable max.
How to apply. All claims are filed at paidleave.oregon.gov via Frances Online.
Job protection. PLO has built-in job protection at any employer (with limited federal/tribal/elected exceptions) after 90 consecutive days of employment, with no minimum-hours requirement. The restoration standard is the same or comparable position. Health insurance must be maintained during leave at your pre-leave level.
State-specific things worth knowing
Three Oregon-specific things worth knowing.
The 12-week single bucket squeezes bonding for birthing parents — same structural issue as Connecticut and Colorado. Vaginal birth's naive 4 + 6 + 12 = 22 weeks truncates to 12 (bonding = 2). C-section's 4 + 8 + 12 = 24 truncates to 12 (bonding = 0). With certified pregnancy-related medical needs, the bucket extends to 14 weeks (vaginal bonding = 4, C-section = 2). Less generous extension than Colorado's +4 weeks.
The 100% replacement rate for tier 1 is the highest in the country — lower earners get full salary replacement, no gap. The threshold is 65% of SAWW = $886.47/week ($46k/year). Combined with the 120%-of-SAWW cap ($1,636.56/week), Oregon's program is structurally the most generous in the US for both lower and higher earners.
The premium is 60% employee / 40% employer for employers with 25+ employees; employers with fewer than 25 employees aren't required to pay the employer share (employees still owe 0.60%). The total 2026 premium is 1.0% — slightly higher than most other states. The premium is capped at the Federal Social Security taxable max ($184,500 for 2026), so high earners hit a contribution cap mid-year.
Frequently asked questions
Does my employer have to pay me during Oregon maternity leave?
Oregon employers don't pay you directly during Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) leave — but the state-administered program pays you through premiums (1.0% of wages, split 60/40 employee/employer for employers with 25+ employees). For 2026, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,636.56 (120% of the State Average Weekly Wage of $1,363.80) — the highest weekly cap of any state PFML. The replacement is tiered: 100% of weekly wages up to $886.47 (65% of SAWW), then 50% on the portion above, capped at $1,636.56. A typical $80,000 earner receives about $1,212/week. A $25,000 earner gets full salary replacement ($481/week) — the only state where low earners receive 100% of wages.
What is Paid Leave Oregon and how does it differ from FMLA?
Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) is Oregon's state-funded paid family, medical, and safe leave program, effective September 3, 2023. It provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave per 52-week period (14 with certified pregnancy-related medical needs). Federal FMLA is unpaid, only applies to employers with 50+ employees, and requires 12+ months of tenure and 1,250 hours worked. Oregon PLO covers all employers (with limited federal/tribal/elected-official exceptions), requires only 90 consecutive days of tenure, and has no minimum-hours requirement — substantially broader than federal FMLA. The two run concurrently when both apply. Oregon also has the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA), a parallel state-level unpaid job-protection law.
How much does Paid Leave Oregon pay?
PLO pays a tiered weekly benefit based on your average weekly wage (AWW) and the State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW). For 2026 with SAWW = $1,363.80: the first $886.47 of your weekly wage (65% of SAWW) is replaced at 100%, and the portion above is replaced at 50%, capped at $1,636.56/week (120% of SAWW). A $25,000 earner ($480.77/week) is entirely in the 100% tier and gets full wage replacement of $481/week. A $50,000 earner gets ~$924/week (spanning both tiers). An $80,000 earner gets ~$1,212/week. A $300,000 earner is capped at $1,636.56/week. The 100% tier-1 rate is unique to Oregon — no other state pays 100% of wages.
Why is my bonding leave shorter than 12 weeks?
Paid Leave Oregon uses a single 12-week bucket per 52-week period covering all leave types combined — medical, family, and safe leave all draw from the same pool. For a birthing parent: pre-birth disability (typically 4 weeks) + postpartum recovery (6 vaginal / 8 C-section) + bonding (12 weeks) = 22-24 weeks naive total. The 12-week ceiling truncates the bonding portion. Vaginal delivery: 4 + 6 + 2 bonding = 12 weeks. C-section: 4 + 8 + 0 bonding = 12 weeks (zero bonding). Non-birthing parents get the full 12 weeks of bonding leave because there's no medical leg consuming the bucket. If you have certified pregnancy-related medical needs, the bucket extends to 14 weeks, leaving up to 4 weeks of bonding for vaginal delivery (2 for C-section).
Does Oregon Paid Leave have job protection?
Yes — PLO has built-in job protection that activates at 90 consecutive days of employment. It applies to any employer with limited exceptions (federal government, tribal governments that haven't opted in, elected officials). Your employer must restore you to the same or a comparable position when you return. Health insurance must be maintained during leave at your pre-leave level. Anti-retaliation protections apply broadly. Among the most accessible state-level job-protection rules in the country, tied with Connecticut (also 1+ employees, 90 days). The Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) provides parallel unpaid state-level protection.
Who pays for Paid Leave Oregon?
PLO is funded through premiums split between employees and employers. For 2026, the total premium is 1.0% of wages. Employees pay 0.60% (60%) via payroll deduction. Employers with 25 or more employees pay 0.40% (40%). Small employers (under 25 employees) are not required to pay the employer 0.40% — but they must still collect and remit the 0.60% employee portion. The premium applies to wages up to the Federal Social Security taxable maximum ($184,500 for 2026), so high earners hit a contribution cap mid-year. Self-employed workers who opted in pay 0.6% of net self-employment income up to the same cap. Equivalent-plan opt-out is permitted for employers who can meet the equivalent-benefits standard.
Is there a waiting period before Paid Leave Oregon payments begin?
No — there is no waiting period for PLO payments. You are paid for the entire approved leave from day 1. This matches Connecticut, Minnesota, and Colorado, and contrasts with Massachusetts (7 days), Washington (7 days for medical, 0 for bonding), and New Jersey (7 days for TDI).