On April 10, 2022, the Maryland General Assembly overrode Governor Larry Hogan’s veto to enact the Time to Care Act of 2022. The Act establishes a Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Program similar to those adopted by nine other states and Washington, D.C. The FAMLI Program takes effect on January 1, 2023, with contributions beginning October 1, 2023.
How does the FAMLI Program work?
The central focus of the Act is the FAMLI Fund, subsidized by employers and employees alike. 8.3-501. The Secretary of Labor will administer the special, nonlapsing fund, which will consist primarily of employer, employee, and self-employed individual contributions.
Starting January 1, 2025, an employee may submit a request to receive paid leave from the pool. Benefits comprise partial wage replacements between $50 and $1,000 a week.
Who must contribute to the FAMLI fund?
Generally, all employers who employ at least one employee must participate in the program, but only employers with 15 or more employees must contribute to the fund.
What types of leave are allowed?
In practice, the program enables covered employees to take 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a newborn child, a specified family member, the individual’s own serious health condition, or to attend to a qualifying exigency arising out of a family member’s military deployment.
Who is a covered employee?
The law defines a covered employee as one “who has worked at least 680 hours” in the last year. 8.3-101(d). By contrast,...
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