Massachusetts Paid Family
and Medical Leave (MA PFML)
Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MA PFML) is a paid leave program that offers wage replacement benefits if an employee is sick or hurt and cannot work. MA PFML applies to family-related matters as well, such as bonding with a new child or caring for a family member who has a serious health condition. An employee can also use MA PFML to address a qualifying military exigency.
Employers can participate in the state-run program (Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave) or they can self-insure or fully insure a private plan.
MetLife offers self-insured and fully insured MA PFML plans.
Benefit Overview
Mandated Coverage & Employee Eligibility
HintLeave Reason, Duration, Job Protection
HintCost of Coverage and Contributions
HintBenefit Payments
HintEmployers are required to offer MA PFML benefits if they have at least one employee.
All employees working for a covered employer are eligible for benefits. Most Massachusetts workers are eligible for benefits after they have earned at least $6,300 during the prior 4 calendar quarters. In addition, an employee must have earned at least 30 times the benefit amount that they are eligible to receive.
Self-employed, independent contractors, or tribal governments are also eligible to opt-in to the state-run program.
Eligible employees can receive part of their pay and job protection if they need to take time off for certain reasons.
An employee can have more than one benefit each year, but no more than 26 weeks total, and a 7-day waiting period (waived for child bonding if the leave immediately follows medical leave).
Medical Leave can be taken for up to 20 weeks to:
- address a personal serious health condition or injury including pregnancy
Family Leave can be taken for up to 12 weeks to:
- bond with a new child
- care for a family member with a serious health condition
- assist while loved ones are on overseas military deployment
MA PFML can be taken intermittently, or on a continuous leave or reduced leave basis, depending on the leave reason.
Beginning January 1, 2025, the maximum PFML employee contribution is 0.46% (0.18% (PFL) and 0.28% (PML)) of an employee’s wages, or a maximum total of $810.06. In 2025, Massachusetts’ employee taxable wage base is determined by the Social Security taxable maximum, or $176,100.
Private plan insurance premiums may differ, however, state covered payroll caps apply. Employee maximum contributions for a private plan cannot be more than what they would pay for the state-run program. Employers fund the balance of the premium for insured private plans.
MetLife can also provide claim administration for self-insured private plans. Employers are allowed to collect payroll contributions up to the state’s maximums and use the funds to pay benefits. Service fees paid to support the operating costs for state approved self-insured plans are the employer’s responsibility.
For the state-run program, employers with 25 or fewer employees are exempt from paying the employer portion of the contributions.
Please visit the state program’s website for the latest state rates and additional state plan information.
The benefit amount an employee can receive depends on the employee’s average weekly pay and compares it to the average weekly pay for everyone in Massachusetts.
Benefits are calculated by taking:
- The portion of the average weekly wage that is equal to or less than 50% of the state average weekly wage multiplied by 80%
- The portion of the average weekly wage that is more than 50% of the state average weekly wage multiplied by 50%
In 2025, employees can receive a maximum weekly benefit of $1,170.64.
Key Dates
- Maximum weekly benefit of $1,170.64 is effective
- State Average Weekly Wage of $1,829.13 effective
Applying for a MetLife Private Plan & Employer Requirements
To obtain a proposal from MetLife, you or your broker must create a census of your eligible Massachusetts workforce and send it to MetLife. This census template was developed for your convenience.
MetLife offers self-insured and fully insured MA PFML plans that have been approved by the state.
A private plan can be for both paid family and medical leave coverage, for medical leaves only, or for family leaves only.
- An employer who has a private plan in place can file for an exemption from the MA PFML contributions by submitting an application through the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s MassTaxConnect.
- Approved private plans are effective the 1st day of the next quarter, if their prior provider was the State.
- If the prior provider was another private plan administrator, the plan effective date may be able to start with the new month.
If fully insured, MetLife will issue a Confirmation of Insurance form and a state approved MA PFML policy.
If self-insured, here is a generic MA PFML Private Plan Template that you can use as a starting point to begin drafting your private plan. You will need to work with your own employment counsel to define your MA PFML plan to submit to the state for approval. An employer’s private plan must meet or exceed the state plan. Please visit the state’s site for additional information.
Private plans require an exemption application approval by the state. You must continue to participate in the state-run program until your private plan is approved and effective.
You should gather your documentation and apply for your fully insured or self-insured plan through MassTaxConnect.
- If filing for a fully insured MetLife MA PFML plan you will need:
- The policy documentation provided by MetLife
- The MA PFML Confirmation of Insurance provided by MetLife
- If filing for a self-insured MA PFML plan, you will also need a Surety Bond:
- You must furnish the surety bond to the Commonwealth.
- The surety bond amount is based on your workforce in Massachusetts.
If you are transferring from another approved private plan carrier, please refer to the instructions here.
The application review and decision process will occur once all documents are submitted to the state. A private plan application must be approved in the quarter prior to the quarter the benefits go into effect.
Once approved, you will receive a letter with next steps. You will be required to renew with the state every year.
If denied, employees will remain part of the state-run program. You have the option to follow the state’s defined request for follow up review process if the private plan is denied.
You will be notified of your decision via your account in MassTaxConnect. Once your approval is received, please provide MetLife with a copy.
You must provide written notice to your workforce about paid leave benefits, contribution rates, and other provisions of MA PFML. The state provides a poster each year which must be displayed in the workplace in a location where it can be easily read. Click here the latest poster. You may use this rate notice to advise your employees of their payroll deductions for the current year.
If you are switching from the state-run plan and a private plan you should inform employees at least 30 days before the effective date of the private plan.
New employees
You must provide any new employee a notification form within 30 days of hire. The notice can be provided in paper form or electronically. The notice must include the opportunity for an employee to accept or decline receipt of the information and each employee should return the signed form. You can receive these acknowledgments in paper form or electronically. Please retain these forms according to your internal document retention policy. Do not send these forms to MetLife or the state.
Private plans will be in place for one year after it is approved by the state, however, you have the right to withdraw a private plan. And you will need to report any changes to your private plan.
Each year the state updates the maximum employee contribution rates and the average weekly wage. If you collect contributions from your employees, payroll deductions need to be updated accordingly.
Reporting requirements
- The state requires annual reporting for MA PFML. Reporting is due to the state by August 31 each year.
- MetLife will submit a single aggregate report on your behalf if you have MetLife’s fully insured MA PFML plan.
- If you self-insure an MA PFML private plan, you will need to submit your own reports. MetLife will provide necessary data for the report.
Changes to a private plan
- The state only allows private plan changes to be submitted during the quarter before the tax exemption expiration. Therefore, if an exemption expires December 31, the renewal can be submitted between October 1-December 31. If an exemption expires March 31, the system will accept your renewal starting the following January and so on.
Renewing your MetLife private plan
- As an employer, you are responsible for keeping your private plan active with the state.
Your MetLife plan will automatically renew on its anniversary date. To renew your private plan with the state, you will need to upload a current Confirmation of Insurance (COI) form via MassTaxConnect. Since your tax exemption effective date may be different than your MetLife plan effective date, MetLife will provide you with an updated COI form during the 4th quarter for use the following calendar year.
If self-insured, each year, you will need to update your Surety Bond and submit any plan changes to the state for approval via MassTaxConnect. After you renew your private plan with the state, you need to send the updated plan to MetLife to administer.
Taking a Leave
Filing for Benefits with MetLife
HintSupporting Claim Documentation
HintCoordination of Benefits
HintStep 1: An employee should notify their employer of the need for a leave as soon as possible.
Step 2: An employee should file a claim up to 30 days in advance of the leave. If the leave is unforeseeable, claims may be submitted up to 30 days after the leave has begun.
Step 3: MetLife will gather any additional necessary information from the employee and make a decision within 14 days or the first day of leave, whichever is later.
Step 4: If an employee’s claim is denied, an employee may appeal the claim first with MetLife and if denied again the employee may submit an appeal to the state. Appeal filing instructions can be found in the claim denial letter.
Employees must provide specific documents for each claim. It is important to submit paperwork to the doctor as soon as possible. It might take the doctor’s office two weeks or more to complete the paperwork. In some cases, a statement confirming the relationship between the employee and the family member may also be requested.
For an employee's own serious health condition (when an employee is sick or hurt and cannot work for an extended period):
- Certification of a Serious Health Condition form filled out by an employee and their healthcare provider, or
- A doctor’s note or Attending Physician Statement (APS) that includes the same information as the Certification of Serious Health Condition form and/or any other reasonable information or documentation necessary to adjudicate the claim.
For child bonding for a newborn:
- A copy of the child’s birth certificate, or
- A statement from the child’s healthcare provider stating child’s date of birth, or
- A statement from the mother’s healthcare provider stating child’s date of birth
For child bonding for adoption or foster care placement:
- A copy of adoption papers or court documents finalizing the adoption, that includes child's date of birth and adoption date, or
- Documentation from the child’s healthcare provider, or
- Foster/adoption agency paperwork containing adoption or placement
- If an employee is not the parent named in the court documents (in loco parentis), the employee may also be asked to provide proof verifying their relationship to the in loco parentis named in the court documentation. This could be a marriage certificate, civil union papers, or something showing the employee is in a domestic partnership.
For leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, including medical events related to pregnancy or childbirth:
- Certification of a Serious Health Condition form filled out by the employee and their family member’s healthcare provider, or
- A doctor’s note or APS that includes the same information as the Certification of Serious Health Condition form
For qualifying military exigency needs, the employee will need to verify their family member’s service:
- A covered family member’s active-duty order, or
- Letter from the military unit documenting impending call or order to covered duty, or
- Documentation of military leave signed by the approval authority for the military member’s rest and recuperation
- If leave is requested to meet with a third party, such as a school official, counselor, or attorney, the employee must provide documentation of the meeting that includes:
- The name, address, and contact information of the individual or entity with whom the employee is meeting
- A description of the meeting
For caring for a family member who is a covered service member:
- Certification of a Disability/Serious Health Condition form filled out by the service member’s healthcare provider, or
- A doctor’s note or APS that includes the same information as the Certification of Serious Health Condition form
- An alternative form of certification can be an Invitational Travel Order (ITO) or Invitational Travel Authorization (ITA) issued by the Department of Defense to any family member to join an injured or ill service member at their bedside
Employees may be eligible for more than one leave.
An employee may receive MA PFML benefits concurrently with employer-paid benefits; however, an employee’s total compensation may not exceed an employee's regular pay.
Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFML) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits can and should be used at the same time, when applicable.
MA PFML benefits are paid alongside Unemployment and Workers Compensation and may replace up to 100% of the employee’s average weekly wage.
MetLife’s claims team will reach out to the employer to coordinate dates of the company leave that directly overlap with the state leave.
MetLife representatives can help review employer paid benefits that may overlap with the state leave. They can help document overlaps and preferred contact and action when the overlap happens.
Note: There may be additional leaves that MetLife does not administer. Employers may be responsible for providing additional leaves for their employees. Employers should consult their own employment attorneys.
Need more information?
FAQs
A spouse or domestic partner, children, stepchildren, or a domestic partner’s children, parents, stepparents, or a parent’s domestic partner, spouse or domestic partner’s parents, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, or domestic partner’s grandchildren, grandparents, step-grandparents, or a grandparent’s domestic partner, siblings or stepsiblings. In addition, family members who are related through in loco parentis, custodial/non-custodial care, and/or as a legal ward are covered.
As of November 22, 2024