Menu
  1. Home
  2. Producers
  3. Employers
  4. Members
  5. About
  6. Blog
  7. Contact
  8. Paid Leave

Preparing for MA
Paid Family & Medical Leave

The Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave law provides eligible employees with job-protected, partially-paid time off, effective January 1, 2021. The Family Leave component of state-required benefit can be used to bond with a new child, care for a family member who is a covered service member, care for a seriously ill family member, or attend to family matters due to a qualifying military exigency. The Medical Leave portion is for an employee’s own serious health condition.

As your statutory Short-Term Disability and Paid Family Leave experts, we’re here to help every step of the way as you prepare to comply with all the new requirements of this law.


female business owner working in a bakery

How to Apply For a Private MA Paid Family & Medical Leave Plan

For your timing and planning, keep in mind that Private Plans can only be made effective on the first day of a quarter, i.e. the first of the next quarter after approval. The application process may vary depending on the insurance carrier. Here’s how it works at ShelterPoint:

 

Step 1 – You and your broker

Provide your broker with the information they need to request a quote. Most carriers will have similar information requirements in order to provide your broker with a quote. But, for ShelterPoint specifically, please provide the following information about your group through your broker:
  • Your company’s full information, including full legal name, address, and SIC code.
  • Census with employees working at your MA location(s) who are eligible for PFML (more details on employee eligibility in the section below):
    • Gender
    • Employment status (full-time, part-time, or 1099ers)
    • Age
    • Salary
  • Include part-timers who meet the eligibility requirements.
  • If more than 50% of your workforce are on a 1099-basis, you need to include them as well.
  • Desired effective date
If needed, we may require additional information.

Step 2 – ShelterPoint

Based on your information, we will provide a proposal.

At ShelterPoint, after you have accepted the proposal, we will provide an application for coverage. We will also prepare the Confirmation of Insurance form details and signed by us, which you will need to provide to Massachusetts DFML as part of the Private Plan Exemption application.

Step 3 – You

You, the employer, counter-sign the “Confirmation of Policy Form Number” Form.

Then, through your MassTaxConnect account (https://mtc.dor.state.ma.us/), submit your Private Plan Exemption Application, which includes uploading the Confirmation of Policy Form Number Form.

Here are the State’s official step-by-step video and instructions for applying for an exemption.

Step 4 – Massachusetts DFML

Massachusetts DFML may reach out with questions while reviewing your application in detail through e-messages on your MassTaxConnect Account.

Should they have any questions, your broker and our team of experts can help you with the re¬sponse.

Step 5 – You and Your broker

Your broker will then need to provide us with a copy of the exemption approval to issue the Paid Family & Medical Leave policy.

 

 

It’s important to remember that you will need to renew your Private Plan Exemption every year!

Time flies! So we will remind you when it’s time for the renewal and help guide you through that process.**


**ShelterPoint Life is under no legal obligation to provide employers/policyholders with a reminder to renew their annual private plan exemption with the DFML, and ShelterPoint Life assumes no responsibility or liability for failure to issue any such reminder notice to an employer/policyholder, nor does it guarantee the accuracy of the information provided in any such reminder notice. It remains the sole responsibility of the employer/policyholder to remain independently informed of their private plan exemption renewal date and to timely file a renewal of its private plan exemption as set forth in, and in accordance with, any and all MA PFML laws and regulations.

 

Learn More About MA Paid Family & Medical Leave

Overview 


Private Plan Option 


Coverage Requirements 

 

Benefits 


Premium & Contributions 


Claims 


 

Regulatory Updates 

Employer
Notice Requirements


Visit the MA Department of Family and Medical Leave web page detailing employer notice requirements for informing your workforce about PFML (including Workplace Poster and Employer Notice templates).


ShelterPoint* is Your Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave Partner

196,000+

NY EMPLOYERS^

1

NY STATUTORY SHORT-TERM DISABILITY PREMIUMS^^

2.0 million+

NY EMPLOYEES^

Specializing in Short-Term Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave, it is a natural progression for us to bring our expertise in this field to Massachusetts, now that Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) is a required benefit effective January 1, 2021.

As an approved private plan carrier in Massachusetts, we welcome the opportunity to help MA employers based on our decades of experience in related, state-required coverages, so you can trust that ShelterPoint will bring you a thoughtful and efficient stand-alone Private Option for your Paid Family & Medical Leave needs. This includes guiding you on what administrative actions you need to complete for an exemption – we help make the switch to our Private Plan easy.


^ Based upon ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company DBL/PFL policyholder and certificate holder count as of 12/31/23.
^^ State of New York Workers’ Compensation Board, form DB-680, 2016 – applies to ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company only.

 

Family bonding
Learn More About ShelterPoint

Statutory benefit programs are what we do.

We have built the experience, scalability, and agility to expertly manage this type of coverage and continuously expand our own capabilities to provide our clients with smooth service from onboarding to claims.

Become a ShelterPoint Producer


Get started

Get a Quote


Get started

Download a Brochure


Download now

With decades of experience in helping keep people INSURED,
rest ASSURED: you have found the specialists you can turn to.
CONTACT US  

Stay in The Know

At ShelterPoint, we stay on top of all the latest news, updates, and information about Paid Family & Medical Leave,
 so we can pass it on to you. Sign-up for updates now to stay in the know!


Sign-Up for Updates

 

*The ShelterPoint family of companies operates under the “ShelterPoint” name strictly as a marketing name, and no legal significance is expressed or implied. The ShelterPoint family of companies consists of ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company, a NY-domiciled carrier, and its wholly-owned subsidiary ShelterPoint Insurance Company, a FL-domiciled carrier, depending on the state. ShelterPoint is a registered service mark.

Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave is available in MA only and will be underwritten by: ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company (a New York-domiciled carrier): Policy Form# SPL PFMLP 0820 MA.

The information in this material is based on our knowledge of the current MA Paid Family & Medical Leave law and regulations. If the Department of Family & Medical Leave revises the regulations, adopts new policies or if the law itself is amended, we will update this document. This document is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice. Employers are encouraged to consult employment law counsel for legal advice.

 

Legal

Terms of Use
Jurisdictional Notice
All Terms & Notices
Website Accessibility

Contact

Contact Overview
Customer Support
Site map

About

About ShelterPoint
Company News

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. By entering our website and accessing its content, you agree to our Terms of Use.

All policies are underwritten and administered by either ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company (principal office in Garden City, NY), or ShelterPoint Insurance Company, a FL-domiciled carrier, depending on the state. Contact Underwriting for details.
Policies for Private Plans of Statutory Benefit Programs are underwritten by ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company (principal office in Garden City, NY) in NY, NJ, CT, MA, CO; and underwritten by ShelterPoint Insurance Company (a FL-domiciled carrier) in OR. Click here to view availability by state.
For information about which company is licensed in your state, please visit our Geographic & Jurisdictional Notice.

shelterpoint-logo
Terms Of UsePrivacy StatementCopyright 2024
Back To Top