Time for your health when you need it most
Take care of yourself without worrying about a paycheck.
What is medical leave?
Medical leave is paid time off when you have:
A serious health conditionA serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that:
- Requires inpatient care
- Poses an imminent danger of death or possibility of death in the near future
- Requires constant or continuing care
- Involves a period of incapacity
- Involves multiple treatments
- Involves a period of disability due to pregnancy
Step 1: Gather your documents
You will need to have a few documents ready before you apply. You’ll need at least one of the following:
- Hospital admission form
- Proof of your serious health condition from a health care provider that includes a brief description of the condition and the dates it started and ended
Step 2: Give notice to your employer
- 30-day notice: If you know you will need to use paid leave for an upcoming medical procedure, to have a child, to adopt a baby, or any other qualifying life event, you need to let your employer know at least 30 calendar days before taking leave.
- 24-hour emergency notice: In an emergency, you must tell your employer (this does not have to be in writing) that you need to use Paid Leave within 24 hours. Then, give written notice to your employer within 3 days after starting leave.
Step 3: Apply for benefits
When you are ready to apply for benefits, you will use Frances Online. Employees can begin creating an account on Frances Online in August 2023. Make sure to:
- Apply no earlier than 30 days before you need to take leave, or
- Apply no later than 30 days after you take your leave
Step 4: Update your application
- After your application has been approved, update it anytime the leave time frame changes. Learn more about how to update your application.
- If your employer has an equivalent plan instead of participating in the state’s Paid Leave Oregon plan, you must apply separately under the equivalent plan. Ask your employer for instructions on how to submit an application.
Have questions? Visit our commonly asked questions about Frances Online.
Create an account:
Frances Online
- You can take up to 12 weeks paid leave in a 52-week period (starting from the day your leave begins). You can take a week or a single day off at a time based on what your serious health condition needs.
- You may be able to take up to 2 additional weeks (up to 14 total weeks) if you are pregnant, have given birth, or have health needs because of childbirth.
Paid Leave Oregon pays you every week while you are on paid leave. The amount depends on how much you earned the year before. Some employees will get 100% of their wages. Pay is retroactive from when your leave began.
Here’s an example: a version of OED’s current sample benefit amounts table
What happens when I go back to work?
- Your job is protected by law while you’re on paid leave if you have worked at least 90 consecutive days for your employer.
- Your employer cannot fire you or threaten you for taking time off if you are eligible for paid leave.
- You have the right to the same job you had when you left if you have worked for your employer for at least 90 consecutive days under the law. This means you do not lose your job title or role while you’re on paid leave, if the position still exists, even if the position was filled by a temporary replacement employee while you were on leave.
