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Maryland employers take note—under the state’s brand new paid family and medical leave law, employers must provide paid FMLA leave in January 2025.  Most employers will need to start making contributions to the Maryland Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Fund in October 2023.

Starting January 2025, employees who have worked at least 680 hours in the 12-month period preceding the start of leave will be entitled to the paid leave benefit. The qualifying reasons largely mirror the federal FMLA.  An employee may be eligible to receive an additional 12 weeks of paid leave if they have a serious health issue in the same year as their child’s birth.

Leave under the Act runs concurrent with the federal FMLA, and employees may have to exhaust certain other employer-provided leave before they may receive benefits under the Act.

Employers may be able to avoid contribution to the state plan if they choose to provide a private plan that meets or exceeds the benefits of the statutory plan. 

We have some time—but you should begin thinking about if and how you need to revise your FMLA and leave policies, as well as whether you will want to make contributions to the FAMLI Fund or instead use a private plan.  Stay tuned to this space—when we have more information, including any regulations implementing this plan, we will let you know.

If you have any questions about this Alert, we encourage you to reach out to your Shulman Rogers contact for solutions and recommendations for addressing compliance with paid leave requirements.

CONTACT

Meredith “Merry” Campbell

Joy C. Einstein

Alexander I. Castelli

Drew T. Ricci