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Paid Leave Oregon (PLO), also known as Oregon Paid Family Medical Leave calculates the weekly benefit based on the employee's average weekly wage during their base year. The state has created to help estimate what your weekly benefit will be. 

Base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your benefits start. Calendar Quarter refers to the 3-month periods of the calendar ending in March 31^st, June 30^th, September 30^th, and December 31^st.

Calculating Average Weekly Wage
The Standard and PPS will use the following method from PLO to determine the employee's average weekly wage:

1. Define the employee’s base year based on the start date of their leave. For example, the base year for leave starting September 5, 2023 is April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
2. Add gross wages from all four calendar quarters together for the employee’s annual earnings during this period.*
3. Divide the annual earnings by 52 (weeks) to determine the average weekly wage. This determines the employee’s estimated weekly benefit amount under PLO.

*If an employee has no earnings in their base year, PPS and The Standard will use an alternate base year. The alternate base year is the last four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the leave starts. With the example of September 5, 2023 for leave start date, the alternate base year would be July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.

Calculating Weekly Benefit
If a person's average weekly wage is equal to or less than 65% of Oregon's average weekly wage, their benefit will equal their average weekly wage. If an applicant's average weekly wage is more than 65% of the Oregon's average weekly wage, they will receive 65% of the Oregon's average weekly wage and 50% of the difference between the 65% of state's average weekly wage and their own average weekly wage.

For example, if the state's average weekly wage is $800 and a staff makes $1200 for their average weekly their payment would be $860. Here is a calculation to show how this number is arrived at: $1200-(($800x.65)/2) + ($800x.65)=$860

In this example the numbers represent:

If the weekly benefit is calculated to be less than the employee's current weekly wage at the start of the leave, you may choose to Top Off your benefit with PPS accrued leave balances. 

The table below shows how top off is applied throughout the dates of your PLO/OR PFML leave.  The top off form . Please note that “Top Off” elections received after the 10^th may not be processed until the following PPS payroll period.

*Note: If Standard retroactively approves your PLO/PFML leave, your leave balances will not be refunded while your leave request was pending with Standard.  To prevent this, you may proactively apply for a PLO/PFML up to 30 days before your need for a leave.  

If a staff member requests Paid Leave Oregon starting January 3^rd and ending January 31^st. Standard approves them for Paid Leave Oregon as of January 10^th. In this scenario, the staff completes their top off election on January 3^rd when they request their leave. Below is an example of how top off would be applied in each scenario:

1. Yes- Top Off: Full leave balances are applied while the staff’s leave is in requested status from January 3^rd to 9^th. Once the leave is approved on January 10^th, top off (partial leave balances) is applied for January 10^th to January 31^st.
2. No- Top Off: No leave balances are applied from January 3^rd to January 31^st as the staff member has made their top off election before the 10^th of the month. In this scenario the staff member does not receive pay from PPS during their Paid Leave Oregon dates. Please note: If the election was made after the 10^th, some dates of the leave may have full leave balances applied.
3. No response to Top Off Form: Full leave balances are applied while the staff’s leave is in requested status from January 3^rd to January 9^th. Once the leave is approved on January 10^th, no leave balances are applied and the remaining Paid Leave Oregon dates are not paid from PPS.

PPS will continue to administer pay and benefits for all eligible leave types, including leaves administered by FMLASource and Standard.

Follow the steps below to determine how your leave accruals will be used while on leave:

1. 1. Your leave balances can be viewed in PeopleSoft Employee Self-Service (ESS) or on the bottom of your pay stub.
      
      IMPORTANT: We encourage you to access PeopleSoft ESS while on-site, if possible.  To access PeopleSoft ESS off-site, you must be registered for both 1) DUO and 2) Google Authenticator Two-Step Authentification. For assistance, contact the PPS Help Desk at 503-916-3375.
      
      
   2. Understand the order that your paid leave balances will be used.
      
      
      • To care for a family member:  family illness leave, sick leave, personal time, vacation (if applicable), reserve sick leave*
        
        
      • Employee own medical:  sick leave, personal time, vacation (if applicable), reserve sick leave*
        
        
        • FOR PAT ONLY: sick leave, personal time, family illness leave, vacation (if applicable), reserve sick leave**
          
          
      • Birth/adoption/parental: sick leave, personal leave, family illness leave, vacation (if applicable), reserve sick leave*
        
        * Reserve Sick Leave is paid at 2/3 pay
        
        **Family illness is eligible if your leave is related to you and your family members. For PAT members only, Family Illness is available for employee's own medical condition as well. 
      • Safe leave: family illness leave*, sick leave, personal time, vacation (if applicable), reserve sick leave
         
      • Bereavement/ funeral: per the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement, sick, personal, vacation (if applicable)  reserve sick (2/3 pay)

1. Add up the total number of eligible accrued paid leave hours you can use.  Divide this by the hours/day you work. This will give you the actual number of paid days you can use during your leave. Note: During Paid Leave Oregon claim dates, refer to the top off chart in the section above to see how top off may impact your leave balances. 
   
   Example
   
        100 hours of sick leave
   
          40 hours of Reserve Sick Leave (paid at 2/3 pay)
   
          24 hours of Personal/Emergency Leave
   
   +     80 hours of Vacation Time
    ___________________________________________________
   
        244 total hours / 8 hours per day = 30.5 days
   
   
2. Refer to the Work Year Calendar that is applicable to your employee group/your role .  Exclude days that are not part of your work year, such as spring break, winter break, etc., if applicable.  Also, exclude paid holidays when counting your paid leave usage.
   

IMPORTANT: Employees are required to use any paid leave balances prior to going into an unpaid status, in most situations.

Sick Leave Bank

There are sick leave banks available to certain groups of employees under specific circumstances. Your own personal paid leave must be exhausted before you can use any sick leave bank hours.  For more information, please visit our Sick Leave Bank webpage at /Page/2254.

If you exhaust your leave balances while out on leave, the District may pay out all monies due, including Earned Not Paid earnings, if applicable, that are set aside to provide pay over the summer months.

• If it is anticipated that you will be unpaid more than 60 calendar days, or be unpaid through the end of the current school year, the District may pay you out all monies due automatically.
• If you return to work before the end of the school year and have been paid out all earnings owed to you (which may have included ‘Earned Not Paid’ earnings) your new monthly contract pay amount may be significantly reduced based on the number of contract days remaining to be paid in your contract. 
• If you will be unpaid for less than 60 calendar days, you must make a request in writing to leave@pps.net as soon as possible if you want to be paid out all monies due.

Questions about your pay or benefits related to your leave of absence?

PPS Leaves Team
Email: leave@pps.net
Phone: 503-916-3099

You have 60-calendar days from the date of birth OR date of adoption to add your child to your PPS insurance.  

To add your child to your PPS insurance, please do the following:

1. Log into PeopleSoft Employee Self-Service (ESS): . 
2. Click on the Benefits Information panel.
3. On the left-hand side of the screen, click Life Events.
4. Under the Employee section, select the radio button next to:
   1. I had a baby
            OR 
   2. I adopted or gained legal custody/guardianship of a child.
5. Follow the prompts on the screen to upload and submit:
   1. Your newborn’s birth certificate (hospital announcement is also acceptable)
          OR 
   2. Your child’s adoption paperwork. 
6. The PPS Benefits Team will then review your document.
7. Once your document has been approved by the PPS Benefits Team, you will receive a notification email.
   • If you do not receive the email notification that your document has been approved within 2 business days of uploading your document(s), contact the PPS Benefits Team at benefits@pps.net.
8. After receiving the notification email, log back into ESS and go to the Benefits Information panel.
9. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on Benefits Enrollment.
10. Under the Open Benefits Events section, you should see your Birth event OR Adoption event.  Click the Select button next to the Birth event OR Adoption event. 
11. Follow the prompts on the screen to enroll your child in your PPS insurance.
    • Online Benefits Enrollment Instructions
    • IMPORTANT:
      • If you have not yet received your child’s SSN card yet, you may enter all zeros or all nines in the SSN field.  Once you know their SSN, call PPS Benefits at 503-916-6464 to provide your child's SSN over the phone.
      • You must check the box next to your child’s name under the medical section of the enrollment system.  If you do not check the box, they will not be covered on your PPS insurance.

PeopleSoft ESS Login Issues?  Contact PPS IT Service Desk at 503-916-3375

Benefits Enrollment Technical Issues in PeopleSoft ESS?  Contact the PPS Benefits Team at benefits@pps.net.