Changes to Paid Family and Medical Leave Take Effect for D.C. Government Employees

D.C. government employees should be aware of important changes to the District’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program that took effect October 1, 2026.

The changes affect how much paid family and medical leave eligible District government employees may receive, who qualifies, and how the leave interacts with other leave protections.

What Changed?

Under the updated program, eligible D.C. government employees may receive:

* Up to 8 weeks of paid parental leave to welcome a new family member.

* Up to 2 weeks of paid family leave to care for a qualifying family member with a serious health condition.

* Up to 2 weeks of paid medical leave for the employee’s own qualifying serious health condition.

For family and medical leave, the actual amount available may depend on the nature of the health condition and the employee’s health care provider’s assessment.

Employees generally must have worked for the District government for at least 180 days to qualify for paid family or medical leave. Employees do not have to exhaust accrued sick or annual leave before requesting PFML.

How Does This Affect FMLA?

Paid Family and Medical Leave and FMLA are not necessarily separate pools of protected leave that can be stacked together.

Under District rules, PFML used by an employee counts toward the employee’s 16-workweek D.C. Family and Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA) entitlement. When federal FMLA also applies, qualifying leave may also count against the employee’s federal FMLA entitlement.

In other words, using PFML does not automatically provide additional weeks of leave on top of an employee’s applicable DCFMLA or federal FMLA protections.

Who Is Affected by the New Rules?

Employees who were approved for PFML before October 1, 2026, are not subject to the new changes.

Employees approved on or after October 1, 2026, are subject to the new rules—even if they submitted their request before October 1.

Additional Requirements Employees Should Know

Employees using PFML are also required to enter into a continuation-of-service agreement.

For non-probationary employees, the agreement generally requires the employee to remain employed with the District government for eight weeks after returning from PFML. Employees who voluntarily leave District employment before completing the required service period may owe the District for salary paid while using PFML.

Probationary employees have additional requirements, including a one-year continuation-of-service agreement, and use of PFML may extend their probationary period.

Know Your Rights Before Requesting Leave

The interaction between PFML, DCFMLA, federal FMLA, accrued sick leave, and annual leave can be complicated. Employees should understand which leave program they are using and how it may affect their remaining leave protections before submitting a request.

NAGE encourages members with questions about how these changes affect their individual circumstances to contact their NAGE representative or agency FMLA Coordinator.