At a Glance

• Recent Massachusetts case law confirms that Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) obligations run only to the employer entity, not to individual executives or managers, while making clear that interference with protected leave and retaliation remain significant sources of exposure.
• Courts have also clarified that PFML does not require continued accrual of vacation, sick time, or service credit during leave, so long as benefits earned before leave are preserved and employees are fully reinstated when they return.
• For organizations administering paid leave across multiple jurisdictions, these rulings highlight the need for clear and consistent policies and careful attention to state‑specific differences.

As the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law continues to mature, courts have begun to articulate with greater precision the scope of employer obligations and the limits of liability under the statute. For in‑house attorneys and human resources professionals responsible for administering leave, accommodations, and sick leave policies, this developing case law provides long-awaited guidance. It clarifies not only what the statute requires, but also what it does not.

Recent decisions, one from the Supreme Judicial Court and one from the Superior Court’s Business Litigation Session, mark an important moment in the evolution of PFML jurisprudence. Together, they reflect a judicial commitment to enforcing the statute according to its...

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