I was laid off while on paternity leave, which has been a tough situation for me. I took a total of 16 weeks off, consisting of 12 weeks of Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) followed by 4 weeks of company parental leave. My leave started on June 1, 2026, and my PFML period ended on August 24, 2026. I was notified of my layoff on August 25, 2026, just one day after my PFML protection ended, through a personal text and call from my director. My company leave was still active until September 21, 2026, which was also my original return date. I had never been on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and had received good reviews, so this came as a shock. It’s important to note that I wasn’t the only one affected; many people from my team were also let go as part of a larger layoff, so I don’t feel singled out. However, I am concerned about the timing of my layoff. The decision to lay me off must have been made while I was still on PFML, and it feels wrong that they waited until the day after my protection ended to inform me. I’m currently trying to understand my rights under Washington PFML, especially regarding anti-retaliation and anti-discrimination protections. I’m also curious if the fact that it was a larger team layoff has any bearing on my situation. I plan to document everything and speak to HR, and I’m considering consulting an employment attorney before signing any documents. I’m not looking for formal legal advice, just hoping to hear from others who might have had similar experiences.
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