Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) overview and benefits

Learn more about Massachusetts's Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML), including how to apply, leave benefits, and approval timelines.

What is Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)?

Paid family and medical leave (PFML) is a program designed to help people in Massachusetts take paid time off of work for family or medical reasons. If you want to apply for paid time off, you can learn how to begin an application online.

Massachusetts’s PFML law is funded through employer and employee contributions, and is different from the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, and from any benefits your employer might already offer. 

If you need to take paid leave, the first thing you need to do is inform your employer. Once you have done this, you are legally protected against changes in pay, losing your benefits, and retaliation. 

PFML job protections 

Who’s eligible for Paid Family and Medical Leave?

The PFML law covers most employees in Massachusetts. To be eligible, you must meet the earnings requirements.

Self-Employed Individuals

If you are self-employed, you may opt in through MassTaxConnect.

Employers with Self-Funded or Private Plans

Employers who offer paid leave benefits to their employees may request an exemption from participating in the state PFML plan. An employer with an approved exemption is still required to follow PFML laws. An employer with an exemption offers paid leave through a self-funded private plan or a private plan that they purchase from an insurance carrier. The private plan must offer paid leave benefits that are as good as or better than the benefits offered by DFML.

If your employer has an approved exemption, you need to apply through their private plan. If you apply for leave with DFML instead of with your employer’s private plan, your application will be denied. Ask your employer if they have an approved private plan. If they do, they will provide you with the details to apply. The private plan information should also be available on your employer’s PFML posters and notices. If you apply for leave through a private plan and exhaust appeal rights with that private plan, you may then appeal the application to DFML for review.

Excluded Employers

Some types of employers are excluded from the law that governs PFML. Those specific employers may vote to opt-in. Employees of an excluded employer are not eligible for PFML, unless their employer has formally opted in. One example of an excluded employer is municipalities. Here is a more detailed list of organizations that are normally not covered by the PFML law.

View transcript 

Skip this video.

You skipped the video, What is PFML and am I Eligible?.

Eligibility for PFML 

What can I take paid leave for?

You can take leave for a qualifying reason.

Qualifying reasons are:

• Caring for your own serious health condition. This must be certified by a health care provider. This may include illness, injury, childbirth, or serious health conditions related to pregnancy
• Caring for a family member with a serious health condition. This must be certified by a health care provider. This may include illness, injury, or pregnancy/childbirth
• Bonding with your child during the first 12 months after birth, adoption, or placement
• Caring for a family member who is a covered service member with a serious health condition that was received or aggravated while they were deployed on active duty
• Managing affairs while a family member is deployed or about to be deployed on active duty

How much paid leave time can I take?

If you are eligible, you can take up to 26 weeks of combined family and medical leave per benefit year.

• Up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave to manage your own serious health condition 
• Up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a family member or to bond with a child
• Up to 26 weeks of paid family leave to care for a family member who is a covered service member with a serious health condition that was received or aggravated while they were deployed on active duty

You can take more than one kind of leave in a benefit year, but the maximum amount of paid leave you can take in a benefit year is 26 weeks.

Your benefit year is unique to you and is based on when you take time off through any leave program. Your benefit year starts the Sunday before your first day of leave and lasts for 52 consecutive weeks. The benefit year determines your benefit rate, which will stay the same for the entire benefit year even if you file multiple applications or take different types of leaves. Your benefit rate will only change when you start a new benefit year.

Learn more about different types of leave here, including what you will need to prepare to apply for each.

The PFML program provides flexibility in how you schedule your leave. Learn more about what kinds of schedules PFML accommodates here. 

Types of leave  Possible leave schedules  Taking Medical Leave for Pregnancy and/or Childbirth then transitioning to Family Leave to Bond with a Child 

What is a "serious health condition"?

A serious health condition is a physical or mental condition that prevents you from doing your job for more than 3 consecutive days. It requires one of the following:

• Overnight stay in a medical facility
• 2 or more treatments by a health care provider within 30 days of whatever prevented you from doing your job
• At least 1 treatment by a health care provider within 30 days of whatever prevented you from doing your job, with plans for continued treatment, including prescriptions

What is a serious health condition? 

How much will I get paid?

The easiest way to see how much you may get from paid leave is to use this calculator to estimate your weekly benefits.

Your weekly benefit payment is based on several factors:

• Your individual average weekly wage
• The Massachusetts average weekly wage
• Your benefit year
• Your leave schedule

In 2024, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,149.90. In 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,170.64.

Your payment amount may also be affected by other benefits programs such as unemployment or workers’ compensation.

Also, your weekly benefit amount may be affected if you work part time, or if you take reduced or intermittent leave. For example, if you work an average of 20 hours per week and you take 40 hours of leave, that is 2 weeks of leave. However, if you work 40 hours a week and take 40 hours of leave, that’s only 1 week of leave. 

Benefits calculator  How other leave and benefits can affect your benefits  How PFML weekly benefit amounts are calculated 

When should I start my application?

You can apply for paid leave starting 60 days before your leave would start.  You must provide your employer at least 30 days notice of your leave request. If 30 days notice is not possible due to circumstances beyond your control, you must provide notice as soon as possible.

Sometimes people need to take leave suddenly and unexpectedly. In those cases, you can apply for paid leave after you began taking time off from your job. This is called retroactive leave.

If you apply for retroactive paid leave, your benefits may be reduced if:

• You’re applying more than 90 days after your leave began
• You were still being paid by your employer during your leave
• You used another leave program, such as your vacation time or sick leave
• You received another wage replacement from the government, such as unemployment benefits, during that time

Note that if you're applying for retroactive leave, you will need to know the date that your leave began.

What will I need to begin my application?

Notify your employer

Begin by speaking with your employer about when you need to take leave. Try to provide at least 30 days notice before your official start date, if possible.

Then, you can create an account on paidleave.mass.gov and apply online. 

If you’re applying for military-related leave, or unemployed, please call the Department's Contact Center at [phone] to get started.

Collect information about your leave

While filling out your application, you’ll be asked for:

• The reason you're taking leave
• The date you notified your employer that you need to take leave
• The date when you are planning to take leave, or when your leave started

Gather documents and personal information

• Proof of ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID. You can provide a copy of this document online or through the mail.
• Your bank account information, including your bank's routing number
• A phone number that can receive text messages (SMS) or phone calls or an authenticator app for multi-factor authentication.
• Information from your health care provider about the serious medical condition you or your family member is experiencing
• Your employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• If you're applying for family leave, you may need information about your child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement

Read more about the documents you may need here.

Apply for paid leave  Common issues that delay PFML applications  Get ready to apply 

Find your employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number

Your employer's EIN (or sometimes FEIN) is a unique number assigned to your employer so that the Internal Revenue Service can identify it, and for tax purposes.

You can find your employer’s EIN on a W-2 form. It will be in Box B, right above your employer’s name and address. EINs are usually 9 digits with a dash after the first 2: XX-XXXXXXX. This number does not change, so you do not need the most recent W-2. 

If you can’t find a W-2 or have not received one yet, try asking your employer. We recommend reaching out to payroll, accounting, or human resources departments first. 

Application review timeline

Approval timeline

Within 5 days of you submitting your application, the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) will notify your employer. Your employer has 10 business days to review your application and provide additional information that will help DFML make a decision. While you are waiting, you can check the status of your application. 

Here is a more detailed description of the approval timeline and process.

It may also be helpful to review the issues that can delay application decisions or payments (and how to avoid them).

View transcript 

Skip this video.

You skipped the video, What comes between 'submit' and receiving payments.

Application approval timeline  Check your application status 

Appealing a decision

After we make a decision about your application, you have ten (10) days to file an appeal. You may appeal any aspect of a decision. You may be asked to provide additional information to support your appeal.

You can appeal online or call the Contact Center at [phone] to file an appeal over the phone.  You can also file by fax or mail. Here are instructions on how to appeal.

You may request a hearing with your appeal. Hearings are virtual, and you may attend with a computer or smartphone. Read our virtual hearings guide to learn more about this process.

Appealing a PFML decision  Appeals timeline 

Getting paid and taxes on benefits

If your leave begins in the future, you can expect your first payment 2-4 weeks after your leave begins.

If your leave has already started, you can expect your first payment to arrive 2 weeks after it is approved.

After that, you will receive payments each week. Learn more about how to check the status of your payments.

7-day waiting period

When you begin your paid leave, in most cases there is a waiting period of 7 calendar days before payments begin. Additionally, these 7 days will count against your total available leave for the benefit year.

If you have been approved for intermittent leave, the waiting period will be 7 consecutive calendar days after your first reported absence from work.

During the 7-day waiting period, you can use your paid time off (PTO) and are afforded job protection.

Taxes on benefits

During your application, you have the option to have state and federal taxes withheld from your weekly benefit. This preference cannot be changed once your application has been approved. If you choose to have taxes withheld, we will withhold 5% for state taxes and 10% for federal taxes. 

On January 15, 2025, the IRS issued Revenue Ruling 2025-4, which explains the federal income tax implications of benefits received from a state administered paid family and medical leave program that mirrors the PFML program.  The federal guidance is effective for payments made on or after January 1, 2025.

Because the Massachusetts personal income tax relies on federal law to determine whether income is included or excluded from a taxpayer’s gross income, Massachusetts will generally conform to the conclusions reached by the IRS in Revenue Ruling 2025-4 that concern federal gross income.  The Department is currently working on guidance that further explains Revenue Ruling 2025-4’s impact on Massachusetts tax law. 

Learn more about benefit payment process  Taxes on PFML benefits 

Extending or changing your leave

You may need to update us with new information about your approved leave. Here are some common scenarios and how to address them.

Your payment information has changed: Call our Contact Center at [phone].

Report intermittent leave hours: If you are taking intermittent leave, you will need to report how many hours of leave you take each week. Do not report the hours you worked. The most convenient way to report your intermittent leave hours is to log in to your PFML account at paidleave.mass.gov. You can also report intermittent leave hours by calling the Reporting line at [phone].

Report additional income: If you need to report additional income, call us at [phone].

Extending or changing your leave details: If you need to update your leave dates, end your leave early, or extend your leave, go online to paidleave.mass.gov or call us at [phone].

Your request for an extension must be submitted within 30 calendar days after the end of your current leave.

Managing your leave details 

Important Terms

Benefit Year

Your benefit year is unique to you and is based on when you take time off through any leave program. Your benefit year starts the Sunday before your first day of leave and lasts for 52 consecutive weeks. The benefit year determines your benefit rate, which will stay the same for the entire benefit year even if you file multiple applications or take different types of leaves. Your benefit rate will only change when you start a new benefit year. Learn more.

Qualifying Reason

A qualifying reason is the cause or event that makes you unable to work and eligible for Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits.

7-day waiting period

When you begin your paid leave, in most cases there is a waiting period of 7 calendar days before payments begin. Additionally, these 7 days will count against your total available leave for the benefit year.

If you have been approved for intermittent leave, the waiting period will be 7 consecutive calendar days after your leave begins, whether you take leave on those days or not. The first day of your intermittent leave is your first reported absence from work.

During the 7-day waiting period, you can use your paid time off (PTO) and are afforded job protection.