ORS 657B.380 (HB 2005, 2019) creates an advisory committee for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI) program. The committee is comprised of four members representing workers, and four members representing employers, with at least one of those representing an employer with fewer than 25 employees. A member from the Employment Department chairs the committee.
Advisory Committee Meetings
- Advisory Committee meetings are scheduled the first Wednesday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; dates and times are subject to change.
- At this time, all meetings are held virtually. Meeting access information is located in the meeting agenda.
- Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public for listening only. The public is welcome, but will not be able to provide input during the meetings. We value your questions, concerns, and statements, and we encourage you to email us with your input.
- Meeting agendas, notes, and advance materials are posted 5-7 days before each regularly scheduled meeting in the drop down menu below under 'Meeting Agenda, Notes, and Materials.'
The creation of the program affects employers and employees across a diverse set of communities, industries, and workplaces throughout the state. In order to review materials and obtain as many perspectives as possible, the advisory committee has created workgroups to provide input on specific topics, issues and processes.
Workgroups
There are currently five workgroups: Benefits, Self-Employed/ Independent Contractors, Small Employers, Equivalent Plans, and Contributions. Workgroup sessions are not open to the public at this time. Draft administrative rules will be posted for review and comments, when available. The content of workgroup discussions and workgroup materials may also be discussed during the Advisory Committee meetings, which the public is invited to listen to.
The department is planning multiple ways to reach and receive additional input from stakeholders, including public listening sessions and posting materials online for review.
To sign up for updates on the PFMLI program, click here.*
Email us if you have questions regarding Advisory Committee meetings or workgroups.
Gerhard Taeubel
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Oregon Employment Department (Chair)
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| Amanda Dalton |
Dalton Advocacy
| Representing Employers
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| Jenny Dresler |
Public Affairs Counsel | Representing Employers
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| Linda Herrera |
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
(PCUN) | Representing Employees
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| Eric Hunter |
CareOregon | Representing Employers
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| Andrea Paluso |
Family Forward Oregon | Representing Employees
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| Eva Rippeteau |
Oregon American Federation of State, County,
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) | Representing Employees
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| Paloma Sparks |
Oregon Business Industry | Representing Employers
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| Jessica Giannettino Villatoro |
Oregon American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) | Representing Employees
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*All timeframes are estimates and are subject to change
Benefits
| To discuss
and review processes, timelines, policies, and rules relating to: - eligibility, application for, computation, and delivery of PFMLI benefits, including defining base year and alternate year periods;
- procedures and information to be provided when applying for benefits;
- requirements for employees to provide notice to employers of their plans to take PFMLI leave;
- clarifying daily and/or weekly benefit increments, intermittent leave, interaction with OFLA/FMLA, and other statutory leave programs.
This
workgroup may also discuss and review matters relating to collection of overpayments,
interest, and penalties.
| June 2020 – June 2021
|
Self-Employed / Independent Contractors
| To discuss and review policies, forms, timelines and rules for self-employed and independent contractors that opt into the program, including rules for benefit amounts and rules specifying how a self-employed/contractor makes an election and the information that must be supplied.
This workgroup will review policies for:
- renewing, withdrawing, and terminating elections;
- collection procedures for contributions and erroneous payment of benefits, and provide rules for situations where a self-employed/independent contractor is also an employee for another employer.
| July 2020 – July 2021
|
Small Employers
| To discuss
and review processes, policies, forms, timelines, and rules about small
employers, grants, and job protection provisions.
Specific topics include determining whether an employer has fewer than 25
employees, small versus larger employer job protection provisions, and
development of a grant program.
| July 2020 – July 2021
|
Equivalent
Plans
| To
discuss and review processes, policies, forms,
timelines, and rules relating to equivalent employer plans, including policies
relating to renewing, withdrawing, and terminating plans, application
processes, etc. The workgroup will write rules for resolving disputes between
employers and employees under equivalent employer plans and for which records
employers with equivalent plans will need to maintain.
| *In progress
May 2020 –April 2021
|