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How Much Does MA
Paid Family & Medical Leave Cost?

Massachusetts’ state-mandated Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program provides job-protected partially paid time off to eligible employees for certain qualifying life events.

How much Massachusetts PFML costs, depends on how an employer chooses to provides the coverage – whether through the State Plan, via various self-insured Private Plan options, or in form of a fully insured Private Plan from an insurance carrier like ShelterPoint*.

Private Plans can set their own contribution rate. Private Plan features must be equal to or more generous than the State Plan and most importantly they must not cost the employee more than the State Plan in terms of their maximum employee contribution.


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How MA Paid Family & Medical Leave Maximum Employee Contributions Work With the State Plan

In Massachusetts, the total contribution rate for the State Plan is split between employer and employee for employers with 25+ employees; employers with 24 or fewer employees are exempt from contributing the employer portion to the State Plan. Contributions are capped at the income limit set annually by the Social Security Administration.

See the current State Plan Program cost here.


How MA Paid Family & Medical Leave Contributions Work for Fully Insured Private Plans

Fully insured Private Plans are underwritten by insurance carriers — their rates can be lower or higher than the State Plan rate. 

However, a Private Plan must not cost employees more than they would be required to contribute for the State Plan.

So, for a fully insured Private Plan the maximum employee contribution would be the lesser of:

  • the maximum employee contribution set by the State, or
  • the Private Plan rate if lower
    • Remember, employers cannot profit from providing PFML coverage to their employees!

If the Private Plan rate is higher than the State rate, the employer would be required to fund the portion of the rate that exceeds the maximum employee contributions amount (plus any portion of employee contributions they would like to cover—since an employer may, at their discretion, contribute all or a portion of the employee share of the premium).

Employers with approved Private Plans are exempt from remitting contributions to the State Fund and would instead remit contributions to their Private Plan.


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Private Plan Considerations

Price is not the only factor in choosing a fully insured Private Plan for your business. There are other considerations, such as experience and scalability – which translate into fast turnaround times for claims processing, and smooth service. 
Learn more about Private Plans and how to make the switch here




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MA Paid Family & Medical Leave Premium Rates and Contributions FAQs

What are eligible wages for MA Paid Family & Medical Leave?

MA PFML uses the MA Unemployment Law’s definition of wages, which includes, but is not limited to:
  • salaries,
  • commissions,
  • bonuses,
It can also include the reasonable cash value of:
  • board,
  • rent,
  • housing,
  • lodging,
  • payment in kind, and
  • all remuneration paid in any medium other than cash.
For a full listing of the definition and exceptions, please reference MA Unemployment Law 151A, Section 1 (s).

Learn More About MA Paid Family & Medical Leave

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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!


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*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.

 

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