We have seen a trend over the past several years with various states passing paid Family and Medical Leave laws, which provide eligible employees with paid leave in the event of a life event that requires an absence from work. This type of leave can help employees stay employed when they would have otherwise had to quit their jobs. Here are a few examples of recent legislation, while not yet effective, that will impact many employers across the country.
Maine just passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave law that goes into effect January 1, 2026, with employer remittance requirements effective January 1, 2025. Eligible employees will be able to access up to 12 weeks of paid leave for qualifying reasons.
Minnesota also just passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave program which will go into effect in January 2026 for employee claims and employer premium remittance, and will offer between 12 – 20 weeks of wage replacement per year.
Maryland passed their Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program in May 2023, with an effective date of October 1, 2024, for employers with 15 or more employees, and a 2026 effective date of for employees to be able to access the leave.
There are currently twelve states with active paid Family and Medical leave laws and several others with legislation that has passed but the PFML is not yet effective – those with laws that make paid FML mandatory for employers include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Maine (coming soon), Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota (coming soon), New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
There are also those who have made paid FML voluntary for employers, including some with future effective dates: Arkansas, New Hampshire, Texas, Virginia
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