Get set for paid leave in these mid-Atlantic states.
Since New York became one of the first states to introduce Paid Family Leave years ago, The DBL Center has been on the forefront of these important benefits. As more states institute mandated Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs, The DBL Center continues expanding our carrier relationships and reaching out to brokers across different regions. PFML is a complicated benefit with many components. In states that allow a private policy, insurance brokers have a unique opportunity to act as trusted consultants to business owners, guiding them through the complicated process of introducing Paid Family and Medical Leave programs in their workplace.
Delaware and Maryland have become the most recent states to introduce PFML programs to support new parents, workers caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled, military spouses, and workers who have become ill or injured off the job. We broke the news on PFML and FAMLI in Delaware and Maryland in February, but we have more details and we are here to help you begin navigating and writing these important benefits for your clients.
For a complete list of states with Paid Leave programs, visit The DBL Center’s PFL / FMLA Resource Center.
What We Know About Delaware Paid Leave
Delaware instituted paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws to go into effect January 1, 2026. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from providing this coverage, while businesses with 10 to 24 employees must provide Paid Parental Lleave only, according to the Delaware Department of Labor website. Companies with 25 or more employees must provide Paid Parental Leave, plus Paid Family Leave and Paid Medical Leave coverage
Federal government positions and seasonal operations that shut down for more than a month per year are exempt from coverage.
Under the terms of the law, employees who qualify are entitled to:
- Up to 12 weeks paid leave to care for a new child
- Up to six weeks every 24 months to care for a family member
- Up to six weeks every 24 months to treat their own illness or injury
- Up to six weeks every 24 months to assist while a loved one is deployed overseas as a member of the U.S. military
Qualified employees must have worked at least 1,250 hours with a single employer in the past year. Benefits equal up to 80% of the employee’s wages, up to $900 per week.
Employers who wish to write their PFML insurance through the state plan must begin taking deductions on January 1, 2025, with the first premiums due on April 30, 2025. Claim applications won’t be accepted until January 1, 2026.
The Advantages of Private Plans in Delaware
Brokers should let their clients know that if they opt to privatize Delaware Paid Family and Medical Leave, premiums won’t be due until January 1, 2026. That can save business owners substantial money and improve their cash flow going into 2025. They can roll that cost savings from the first year into ancillary benefits that appeal to all employees. Additionally, if you have clients with a workforce smaller than 25 people, it makes sense to offer private short-term and long-term disability coverage, to help fill gaps in their employee benefits.
The DBL Center has the carrier relationships to help you privatize Delaware PFML, educate your clients on the advantages of a private plan, and, through our Broker Dashboard: Net Revenue Tracker help you manage renewals and track cancellations and commissions.
What We Know About Maryland Paid Leave
Maryland’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program doesn’t go into effect until July 2026, with payroll deductions beginning in July 2025. Employers must submit their first premiums to the state by July 2025, or submit their application for a private plan at that time. As with Delaware, employers who privatize will not have to submit premiums to the state.
It may feel like it’s too soon to think about July 2026. But consider this: Travelers book cruises and vacations two years out to get the best rates. If you have a child entering high school this fall, you will be going on college tours in July 2026. If you are planning a summer 2026 wedding, you may have already booked the venue. Essentially, two years will pass in a blink.
It’s time to prepare your Maryland-based clients now to start considering their coverage options for family and medical leave.
Choosing a Private Plan in Maryland
The State of Maryland Department of Labor has already released extensive details about FAMLI coverage on its website. The state will allow private commercial plans as long as the benefits and protections are the same as or better than the State Plan. Private plans must be approved by the Maryland Insurance Administration. The DBL Center can help you walk your clients through their best options for private plans as they become available.
Maryland’s FAMLI coverage provides up to 12 weeks of wage replacement of up to $1,000 a week for qualified employees to care for a child, a loved one with a serious health condition, to treat their own serious health condition, or to prepare for a family member’s military deployment.
Let The DBL Center Help You
Insurance agents serving Maryland and Delaware can help businesses privatize paid leave for cost savings and navigate these new employee benefits with the guidance of The DBL Center, experts in paid leave and other required benefits. Find out 10 reasons why you should be working with The DBL Center as your insurance wholesaler here and then reach out to get onboarded with our Net Revenue Tracker today.
FAQs
Does Delaware have state paid leave?
Effective January 1, 2026, many Delaware workers will be able file claims for paid leave to care for family caregiving, to treat their own serious medical condition, or to prepare for the deployment of a family member in the U.S. military. Delaware business owners have the option to privatize their paid family and medical leave insurance plans through a private carrier or an insurance broker specializing in employee benefits.
What is the new Maryland paid leave law?
Beginning July 1, 2025, employers will begin deducting payroll contributions for family and medical leave insurance in Maryland. Benefits go into effect July 1, 2026. Under the law, business owners have the option to write a private plan through an insurance carrier or licensed insurance broker. The DBL Center can help brokers navigate this new legislation.
