Governor Baker Signs Law Granting Three Month Delay of Paid Family & Medical Leave Program

Implementation Now Set to Start October 1, 2019

On Thursday June 13th, Governor Charlie Baker signed into law Chapter 21 of the Acts of 2019, granting a three-month delay to the start of the new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. The program is funded by payroll tax collections from employers and employees, and those collections were scheduled to start on July 1. The delay now means that collections will begin on October 1, 2019.

The delay is not expected to reduce the total amount of contributions to be paid by employers and employees to seed the new family and medical leave trust fund, as the state is expected to increase the required contribution rate from 0.63% to 0.75% of wages. The delay is not expected to impact the availability of family and medical benefits for workers beginning in January 2021.

All members are strongly advised to familiarize yourself with your rights and obligations under this complex law.  Click here to visit Department of Family and Medical Leave website.