By Mark Adams
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has rolled out a couple of practical improvements to the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) system—and has another potentially helpful development on the horizon for smaller employers.
First, employers should see less confusion when reviewing partially approved PFML applications. The employer portal will now display the actual dates approved by DFML, rather than the dates originally requested by the employee. That may sound like a small change, but for HR professionals trying to coordinate PFML with attendance, payroll, benefits and other leaves, having the correct dates readily visible should make leave administration a little easier.
DFML has also improved the process for employees requesting medical leave to recover from childbirth. Because an employee initially applies using an estimated delivery date, DFML will now hold final approval until the employee confirms the actual delivery date. Employees will receive reminders around their expected due date and can update the leave start date through the portal. DFML’s current guidance confirms this new process.
Perhaps the most interesting development for employers is still to come. Massachusetts has established a Workforce Productivity Sub-Fund designed to provide grants to eligible small employers to help address staffing costs associated with employees taking PFML. The program is expected to launch in 2027, with additional guidance still to come. The underlying framework contemplates eligibility for employers with 50 or fewer Massachusetts employees, excluding employers operating an approved private PFML plan, and permits grants for costs associated with covering temporary vacancies during approved continuous leave.
HR takeaway: None of these developments fundamentally changes how employers administer PFML today, but the portal improvements should make leave coordination easier. Smaller Massachusetts employers should also keep an eye out for DFML’s forthcoming grant guidance in the future and we will keep you posted on those developments.
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