Your safety matters
Use safe leave to care for yourself or your children.
What is a bias crime?
Under Oregon law, a bias crime is motivated in part or whole by bias against another person’s race, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
What is a bias?
A bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Let your employer know that you need to miss work to take Paid Leave. You don’t need to give any other reason, but your employer may require you to tell them you are taking safe leave. You need to follow the instructions for how to give notice.
If your employer has an equivalent plan, you must apply under that plan instead of participating in the state’s paid leave plan. Ask your employer for instructions on how to apply.
To apply for benefits under the state plan (Paid Leave Oregon), follow these steps:
Step 1: Have your documents ready
You’ll need at least 1 of the following for each safe leave request that certifies that you, your child, or your dependent adult are a survivor of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, bias crimes, or stalking:
- Safe Leave Verification Form
- A copy of a police report
- A formal complaint to a school’s Title IX coordinator
- A copy of a protective order
- Documentation from an attorney, police officer, health care provider, mental health professional or counselor, employee from the Department of Justice (DOJ) providing victim services, a recognized representative of a religious community, or victim services provider
Your verification documents must include the following information:
- Your name
- Your child’s or dependent adult’s name, if you are applying for safe leave relating to a safe leave event involving them
Note: The issue date of your documentation must be no more than 12 months before you apply for leave. If the issue date of your documentation is more than 12 months before you apply for leave, you must include a written statement that describes why you need safe leave.
If you can’t provide one of these documents because of a lack of services or concerns for the safety of yourself or your child, you may choose the self-attestation option. Self-attestation means that you are verifying the event yourself. For this option, you must provide a brief statement of why you need safe leave and time off work.
Step 2: Give notice to your employer
- For planned leave: If you know you will need to use Paid Leave for you or your child, you need to let your employer know at least 30 days before taking leave.
- For unexpected leave: If you need to need to take leave unexpectedly, you must tell your employer (it doesn’t have to be in writing) within 24 hours of starting your leave. You must give written notice to your employer within 3 days after starting leave. If you don’t give written notice to your employer, we may reduce your first weekly benefit payment by 25%.
Step 3: Apply for benefits
Use Frances Online to apply for benefits.
Frances Online is the quickest and easiest way to apply for Paid Leave. You can check your account 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you can’t access Frances Online, send us a paper application or call us at 833-854-0166. It may take longer for you to receive a response if you send a paper application.
At the earliest, you can send your application 30 days before you start your leave. At the latest, you can send it 30 days after you start your leave.
Have questions? Visit our commonly asked questions about Frances Online.
Create an account:
Frances Online
If you or your child are a survivor of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, stalking, or bias crimes and need support from a community-based service provider, visit the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence’s website to find a resource in your community.
- Paid Leave pays you every week while you are receiving benefits. The amount depends on how much you earned in your base year or alternate base year Some employees will get 100% of their wages.
- You can use the benefits calculator for an estimate of your weekly benefits.
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 can’t 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.
- If your position doesn’t exist when you return from leave and your employer has 25 or more employees, they must give you a similar position or offer you an equivalent position at a job site within 50 miles of your former position. If your employer has less than 25 employees and your position is no longer available, they can give you a different position when you return with similar job duties and the same benefits and pay.
