[co-author: Leah Shepherd]
Maine’s paid family and medical leave (PFML) program will begin paying benefits on May 1, 2026. Employers with at least one employee in Maine began making contributions to the PFML fund in January 2025 through employee payroll deductions and employer contributions. On January 20, 2026, the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority announced that the fund was sufficiently solvent to make benefits available to “most Mainers,” effective May 1, 2026.
Quick Hits
Covered workers will be entitled to take twelve weeks of paid time off for family leave, medical leave, leave to deal with the transition of a family member’s military deployment, or leave to stay safe after abuse or violence. Although the time off must occur on or after May 1, 2026, to be eligible for Maine PFML benefits, the state and its insurance provider will start accepting applications for benefits in April 2026.
Covered employers with at least one employee in Maine are required to register (a registration tutorial for employers can be found here, and frequently asked questions for employers can be found here) in the Maine Paid Leave Contributions Portal. Employers with fifteen or more employees must contribute 1 percent of wages and may deduct up to half of this...
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