Paid Leave Oregon: Small Employers Now 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 an employee’s paid leave benefits have been approved. 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 the Oregon Employment Department 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.

More information
Contact Paid Leave Oregon:
Call: 833-854-0166 (toll-free)
Form:  Contact Us
Email: paidleave@oregon.gov