Paid Leave Oregon Bulletin

April 2024 Bulletin - 04/23/2024

April spotlight: Small employers are eligible for assistance grants

Which employers can receive assistance grants?

Small employers (those with fewer than 25 employees, on average) may be eligible to receive assistance grants when an employee goes on paid leave. To be eligible, employers must:

Pay employer contributions for eight calendar quarters (two years) from the time they receive the assistance grant
Be current on contributions payments

What are the types and amounts of assistance grants?

$3,000 to hire a worker to replace an employee on paid leave.
Up to $1,000 to cover significant additional wage-related costs, like paying additional wages to an existing employee or additional training costs.
Up to $3,000 to cover a replacement worker when the employee taking paid leave extends the length of their leave beyond the initial expected time frame.

How does a small employer apply for an assistance grant?

A small employer may apply for an employer assistance grant after we have approved an employee’s paid leave benefits. The employer has up to four months after the end of the employee’s leave to apply for a grant. Applications are online.

Will employers have to pay assistance grants back?

Employers do not have to repay assistance grants. The only time an employer might have to repay the grant is if OED later finds that the employer wasn’t actually eligible for the grant. If this happens, the employer has the right to appeal the decision through the appeal process.

What are the maximum number of assistance grants an employer can apply for each year?

A small employer may apply for up to 10 grants each year, once per employee.

What are the requirements to apply for a grant?

When an employer applies for a grant, they must provide the following information:

Business Identification Number (BIN) and contact information
Information about the employee taking leave
The type of grant the employer is requesting and the amount requested
An explanation of how costs are related to the employee who is taking leave and documentation supporting the employer’s request

Real voices

“While vacationing up north, the friend I was visiting took me to the ER twice in three days. When I finally got home, I tried to go back to work, but was rushed to my local ER by my boss. Follow up with my doctor, who ordered several blood panels and other tests. He also looked me in the eye and told me he wants me to stay home, eat when I'm hungry enough and sleep a lot, primarily for safety reasons. I'm currently too weak to be out for any real length of time, and my mind gets cloudy quickly.

Paid Leave Oregon has made it possible for me to stay home most of the time and not worry so much about whether there will be money in the bank to pay for what I need.

Thank you for offering this, it has made it much easier to rest more.”

-Nancy

We want to hear your stories about how Paid Leave Oregon has helped you and your family. We will use these stories, using your first name only, on social media and in marketing materials to share what having paid leave means for you. Please email us your story at paidleaveconnect@employ.oregon.gov.

News and events

Come visit Paid Leave Oregon staff at an event close to you. Look for our table and come say hello. We are excited to meet you and answer your questions. Please check out the "News and events" web page for the full list.

Hood River: Northern Oregon Special Education Summit, April 27, 2024, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Newburg: Childcare and Family Resource Fair, April 27, 2024, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Portland: Community and Family Resource Fair at Cherry Park Elementary School, April 19, from 3-6 p.m.

Health Resource Fair at Rosewood Initiative, April 26, 2024, from 3-6 p.m.

Virtual: Oregon BOLI and Paid Leave Oregon Present - Paid Leave Oregon, the Impact on Oregon Sick Time, Accrued Leave and OFLA – Webinar, May 13, from 10 a.m.-noon

Lebanon: Sources of Strength Wellness Fair, May 15, 2024, 4-7 p.m.