Delaware Paid Family Leave (PFML)
Delaware Family and Medical Leave Resource Center
Delaware Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program
Delaware Paid Leave, the state’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, went into full effect on January 1, 2026.
Delaware employers have the option to write their DE PFML coverage through the state fund or through an approved private carrier.
Private plans may deliver cost savings, better benefits, and faster, more flexible payments. As your experts in Paid Family and Medical Leave across the US, including the mid-Atlantic region, The DBL Center can help Delaware brokers privatize benefits for businesses in the state.
Delaware Paid Leave by the Numbers: Employee Eligibility, Claim Durations, Premiums, and Benefits
Delaware workers can file a claim for up to 80% of their wages up to $900 per week in 2026. To file a claim, a worker must be employed for at least one year, with at least 1,250 hours with the same employer. Benefits cover:
- Up to 12 weeks over a 12-month period to care for a new child
- Up to 6 weeks every 24 months to care for a family member with a serious health condition
- Up to 6 weeks every 24 months to care for their own personal health condition or illness
- Up to 6 weeks every 24 months for qualified exigency leave (to assist while a family member in the U.S. military is deployed overseas).
Delaware employers with fewer than 9 workers are exempt but can opt into the plan on a voluntary basis.
Businesses with 10 to 24 Delaware employees must provide parental leave only. Employers with 25 or more employees must provide full coverage. Federal government employees and seasonal operations that shut down for a month or more (such as landscaping or snow removal) are exempt from providing paid leave in Delaware.
Premiums are paid through payroll taxes and set at 0.8% of an employee’s wages. Employers can have their employees pay up to 50% of the total contribution cost.