Today marks a landmark victory in the fight for gig worker rights!

Washington’s rideshare drivers now join the vast majority of the state’s workers who are covered under Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). This means that whether a driver is kept off the road by serious illness or injury, or experiencing the joy of welcoming a new child into their family, they’ll now be eligible for up to 12 weeks of Paid Family and Medical Leave.

The hard work, solidarity, and dedication of the driver community has made wins like this possible; Drivers Union looks forward to the opportunity to facilitate the driver enrollment process to enable rideshare drivers to access this cost-free, groundbreaking benefit. Drivers can click here to enroll in the program.

“Uber and Lyft drivers in Washington State have won unprecedented protections, on par with – or in some cases, even better than – what most W-2 workers receive,” says Peter Kuel, President of Drivers Union. “We are thrilled to be able to assist drivers in enrolling for Paid Family Medical Leave at no cost to them, and we are committed to ensuring that drivers have all of the rights and benefits that working people deserve.”

Enroll In PFML Now!

HB 1570, the legislation responsible for bringing Paid Family and Medical leave coverage to rideshare drivers, also enshrined into law their right to unemployment benefits. Both victories built on the driver rights won in 2022's Expand Fairness Act, HB 2076, which set the highest statewide wage floor for drivers in the nation, established a right to protections against unjustified termination, and provided access to Workers’ Compensation insurance and paid sick time. 

“PFML improves family health and well-being, as well as overall financial stability for working families,” says State Representative and bill sponsor Liz Berry. “This pilot program is a demonstration of Washington State’s leadership and commitment to the highest standards of rights and protections for non-traditional workers.”