Elizabeth Hovde explains that it’s going to middle- and upper-income wage earners
Elizabeth Hovde
Washington Policy Center
What’s the hourly wage of a Paid Family and Medical Leave recipient in Washington state? It’s higher than I’m comfortable with. Lawmakers should explain to all workers why they think it is good policy to take money from low-income workers and give their money to people with ample resources.
Using hourly wage estimates from the Employment Security Department, here are the earnings of people who took the program’s tax dollars in the past fiscal year (July 2022 through June 2023):
- Up to $18/hr: 12%
- Between $18 and $24/hr: 21%
- Between $24 and $35/hr: 26%
- Between $35 and $61/hr: 26%
- More than $61/hr: 16%
Lower-income workers shouldn’t be paying higher-income workers to bond with babies or take medical time off from work. They should be able to keep more of their wages for their own needs. But the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program is fueled by employees’ wages. The tax rate is 0.8 percent of wages this year and represents a doubling of the payroll tax in its short lifetime. PFML also requires employers to contribute to the fund, even though many employers already give employees paid time off for sickness or family needs. The total payment required of a worker who made $50,000 in 2023 was $400. (Calculate your yearly PFML payroll tax here.)
The fast increase of the tax is said to have happened because of high use of the program. Some government leaders are proud of that and suggest it shows how much the program was needed. Did people need this program? Maybe some. All recipients no doubt enjoyed greater ease managing life happenings, but they did so at the expense of others who then had a harder time making ends meet.
PFML is laced with entitlement. It’s hard not to feel entitled to other people’s money when you’ve been forced to pour your wages into a shared piggy bank. I hope the state doesn’t ever require low-income workers to start paying into a fund other workers can use for vacation time or mental health days away from their jobs.
All Washingtonians would benefit from policies that encourage and expect self-sufficiency, tapping taxpayer generosity only for the vulnerable. Safety nets for people in need are worthy of support. Building social programs that act as safety nets for people who are not in need — and that harm the finances of others who are less fortunate — are not.
Inflation is tough and can be aggravating. Government inflation is extra aggravating. Read more about PFML and how it harms workers’ wages here and here.
Elizabeth Hovde is a policy analyst and the director of the Centers for Health Care and Worker Rights at the Washington Policy Center. She is a Clark County resident.
Also read:
- Opinion: Neighbors for a Better Crossing urges Oregon Legislators to demand full audit of IBR project, echoing Washington’s HB 2669
Gary Clark of Neighbors for a Better Crossing urges Oregon lawmakers to pursue an audit of the Interstate Bridge Replacement project similar to Washington’s HB 2669 proposal. - Opinion: Climate Commitment Act – Washington’s hidden carbon tax hits hard
Opinion, columns, Washington state, Climate Commitment Act, CCA Washington, Washington carbon tax debate, Washington gas prices, Nancy Churchill, Dangerous Rhetoric, Washington climate policy, Washington fuel costs, Travis Couture, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Commerce, Washington carbon credit auctions, Washington cap and trade program, Washington environmental policy - Letter: The Missing Skamania Report – The prosecuting attorney is still sitting on it
Rob Anderson questions why an investigative report into potential County Charter and OPMA violations has not received an outside review after being declined by multiple offices. - Opinion: Washington’s charter schools deliver – if the state lets them
Vicki Murray argues that Washington’s charter schools are posting stronger academic results than comparable peers while facing funding inequities that are shrinking the sector. - Letter: IBR’s money pit
Bob Ortblad argues the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program is withholding a higher cost estimate while moving forward with limited funding and an unclear construction timeline.
