I was recently laid off from my remote position at a California company while on parental leave in Washington State. I took a total of 16 weeks off, which included 12 weeks of Washington Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) and an additional 4 weeks of company parental leave. My leave started on June 1, 2026, and my PFML protection ended on August 24, 2026. I was notified of my layoff on August 25, 2026, just a day after my PFML ended, through a personal text and call from my director. The layoff affected not just me but many others on my team, indicating it was part of a larger reduction in force. My last working day is set for September 21, 2026, which is also the end of my approved company leave. I have never been on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and have consistently received good reviews, so this came as a shock. I am concerned about the timing of the layoff decision, as it seems it was made during my protected PFML period, yet I was only informed after that protection ended. I am currently trying to understand if the anti-retaliation and anti-discrimination protections under Washington law still apply since the decision was made while I was on leave. I plan to document everything and discuss my situation with HR and possibly consult an employment attorney before signing any documents. I would appreciate any insights or similar experiences from others who may have gone through something like this.
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