Bend businesses offer positive initial reaction to new Paid Leave Oregon program

(Update: Adding video, comments from 10 Barrel Brewing Eastside, Bend Park and Recreation District)

Employees contribute 60% to program, while employers with 25 or more employees pay 40%

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) --Workers and their employers are starting to make payments this week for new Paid Leave Oregon benefits, which won't become available until this fall.

With the new Paid Leave Oregon program starting up as of Jan. 1, businesses across Central Oregon are still working out how to implement it and discussing what it will mean for both employers and employees.

The program gives workers time off for personal and medical reasons, divided into three categories -- Family Leave, Medical Leave, and "Safe Leave," for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, or stalking.

According to Oregon.gov, if a business has 25 or more employees, the employer started paying into the program on the first day of the year. Employees can start applying for benefits now, but they won't be available until Sept. 3.

• Employees pay 60% of the contribution, while employers with 25 or more employees pay 40% of the contribution rate.
• The contribution rate for 2023 is 1%.
• The employee’s amount is taken out of their paycheck.

As the Paid Leave Oregon program goes into effect, the general sentiment from businesses and employees around Bend, including the Bend Park and Recreation District, appears to be a positive one.

"The (Bend Park and Rec District) Board of Directors felt like it was a positive new addition to support employees when they have some of those situations when they need to use that leave," BPRD spokeswoman Julie Brown said Tuesday. "Adding this Paid Leave Oregon is really just one more support that’s going to be available to our employees."

Meanwhile, 10 Barrel Brewing Eastside in Bend also shared optimism about the program.

“In general, we’ve got really positive feedback," Assistant General Manager Jeff Hoverson said. "The team here is just as much a family as it is a work team. So having an extra safety net available to other people working is something that’s really palatable to the rest of the team."

Brown said Bend Park and Rec decided to cover the full cost of the program, which means its 550 full-time and part-time employees won’t see a change in their paychecks.

"The cost to participate in the Paid Leave Oregon, we’re estimating is going to be about $175,000, so it is a significant investment," Brown said.

She said it's one that the park district will continue to budget for. 

10 Barrel Brewing Eastside serves about 50 employees.

"You never want something like paying the bills to deter somebody from starting a family, and with this paid family leave, that’s being implemented now (and) there’s a safety net for if you’re in a dangerous domestic situation" Hoverson said.

Brown added, "I think that there's still a lot that we're all going to be learning about the program. We're starting to pay into it right now. It really doesn't become effective for employee to make use of until September."

Paid Leave Oregon has a new online employer toolkit to help businesses prepare, which includes a guidebook and video.