DON’T DELAY TO FILE A CLAIM

In general, we do not accept claims for leave taken before the date on which you file a claim. In most cases, you must plan to take leave on or after the date on which you file for Paid Family Leave benefits. In some situations, an exception may apply to you. For more information on “exigent circumstances,” see pages 17 and 18 of the Employee Handbook.

For the first claim you submit in a year, you will have a 7-day waiting period. The waiting period starts on the first day you experienced the event. The waiting period does not necessarily start on the day you submit a claim, unless that was also the first day of the event. You only have one waiting period per year. For information, please read Chapter 2 in the Employee Handbook.

Before You Apply

In order to submit a Paid Family Leave claim, you must:

• Have experienced a qualifying event
• Know the days on which you intend to take leave in the future due to this event (in general, you are not allowed to request benefits for leave in the past)
• Have documentation proving the occurrence of your qualifying event
• Be currently employed by a covered employer in DC

Documents You Will Need

For Parental Leave: Proof of a qualifying event showing:

• The child's name
• The claimant's name
• The date of the birth or placement

For Family Leave:

• The Family Leave Medical Certification Form (PFL-FMC)
• The Certification of Family Relationship Form (PFL-FR)

For Medical Leave:

• The Medical Leave Medical Certification Form (PFL-MMC)

Before you apply for benefits online, use our application checklist below to make sure you have all the items you need. 

Tell Your Employer

As long as you have reason to believe that you will need time off for a qualifying event, the law requires you to tell your employer that you will be taking time off at least 10 days before you need the leave. It is best to do this in writing so that there is a record that you gave notice. When you tell your employer that you will be on leave, you must include the following things in what you tell your employer: 

• The type of Paid Family Leave benefits you will be applying for You do not need to tell any details to your employer about your Paid Family Leave claim. You only need to say whether the leave will be for “parental leave,” “family leave,” or “medical leave.” 
• How long you expect to be out on leave This could be any length of time from a few days to weeks or months. You should be as specific as possible. 
• The expected start and end dates of the leave If you are unsure of the exact dates, you should give an estimate. If you are taking family or medical leave, your doctor should be able to provide you with an estimate. 
• Your leave schedule You need to tell your employer whether you will be out for one single period of time (this is known as “continuous leave”) or whether you will be working and taking leave during the same period or even within the same week (this is known as “intermittent leave”). You need to be specific about the days you will be out on leave. 

Choose an Authorized Representative 

An authorized representative is someone who is allowed to submit and manage Paid Family Leave claims on your behalf. You are not required to choose an authorized representative, but you may do so, if you want. In certain circumstances, some people will always be allowed by OPFL to submit and manage claims on your behalf because they are always considered to be authorized representatives by our office. In these cases, you do not need to give proof in advance of the qualifying event to OPFL that these individuals are authorized to act on your behalf. These individuals are: 

• Your legal guardian if you are under 18 
• Someone holding power of attorney on your behalf 

When a doctor says that you are unable to act on your own behalf, your legal guardian will be allowed to submit and manage claims on your behalf. If you choose to elect an authorized representative, you must complete the Power of Attorney form (PFL-POA).

Gather Documents 

Filing for Parental Leave 

You must provide proof that a qualifying event has occurred. This proof can be one of the following:

• A birth certificate 
• A hospital admission form given to you when you gave birth 
• A document from a medical provider who provided care to the newborn child
• A court document showing custody of a child and the date on which you took custody of the child 
• A document from an adoption or foster care agency involved in the placement of your child that confirms the placement with you and the date of the placement

Your documents must show the following 3 things:

• • The child’s name
  • The claimant’s name
  • The date of the birth or placement

Filing for Family Leave

• Have your healthcare provider complete the Family Medical Certification Form (PFL-FMC)
• Submit the Family Certification of Family Relationship Form (PFL-FR) 

Filing for Medical Leave

• Have your healthcare provider complete the Medical Certification Form (PFL-MMC)

Visit the How to Apply for Benefits page for instructions on how to file for Paid Family Leave benefits.