For Employers
Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits will start May 1st, 2026
Pre-applications for leaves starting on or after May 1st will open in April
and links to apply will be added at that time.
MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESS IS READY:
- Register for the Maine Paid Leave Portal and maintain payroll contributions.
- Provide notice to employees about Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) benefits within 30 days of hire.
- Let your employees know about their rights and responsibilities under the program by displaying the Maine PFML poster where they can see it – in person or online.
KEY DATES YOU NEED TO KNOW
Employers play a critical role in making Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave successful. Tribal governments may also elect to participate and, if they do, will be treated as employers under the program.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- January 2025
Contributions began.
- May 2026
Benefits phase begins — workers can apply for leave.
- Ongoing
Employers must report wage data each quarter, remit contributions (if they don’t have an approved private plan substitution), and keep employees informed of their rights and responsibilities.
HOW PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE WORKS FOR EMPLOYERS
Starting in May 2026, eligible employees can apply for up to 12 weeks of paid leave for certain leave reasons. Weekly partial wage replacement provides financial stability for employees and less turnover for employers. Claims are administered by Aflac; reducing administrative burdens for employers.
If an employee’s leave request creates significant operational challenges that can’t be overcome with the amount of advance notice, employers can flag the leave as an “undue hardship”. Aflac will review these and, in some cases, the employee’s leave may be rescheduled to a less disruptive time.
EMPLOYER RESOURCES
- الأسئلة الشائعة: معلومات عامة (Word) (PDF) - Arabic
- FAQ: General Information (Word) (PDF) - English
- FAQ : Informations générales (Word) (PDF) - French
- FAQ: Enfòmasyon jeneral (Word) (PDF) - Haitian/Creole
- FAQ: Basango ya monene (Liloba) (PDF) - Lingala
- Perguntas frequentes: informação geral (Word) (PDF) - Portuguese
- FAQ: Macluumaadka Guud (Erayga) (PDF) - Somali
- Preguntas frecuentes: Información general (Word) (PDF) - Spanish
Private Plans
- Private Plan presentation and Q&A (YouTube) (PowerPoint)
- Fully-insured private plan employer guide (PDF)
- Approved Insurance Carriers and Plans Certified As Substantially Equivalent (PDF)
- Self-insured private plan employer guide (PDF)
- Self-insurance application
- Check list (Word)
- Template plan document (Word)
- Surety bond (Word)
- What employers need to know for 2025 - One-Pager (Word) (PDF)
- Employer’s Guide to Maine PFML Contributions’ (Word) (PDF)
- Bulk Wage Report Specifications (PDF) - English
- ACH Credit Payments (PDF)
The Maine Paid Leave Contributions Portal.
Review helpful guides about using the portal below:
- Portal demo and Q&A for Employers (YouTube)
- Portal demo and Q&A for Third Party Administrators (YouTube)
- Step by step guides:
- Adding a Claim Contact (PDF)
- Adding a Secondary Logon (PDF)
- Closing an Account (PDF)
- Electing Coverage as a Self-Employed Individual (PDF)
- Filing a Bulk Wage Report (PDF)
- Filing a Wage Report (PDF)
- Making a Bulk Payment (PDF)
- Making a Payment (PDF)
- Registering for Employers (PDF)
- Registering for TPAs (PDF)
- Requesting Access to an Employer's Paid Leave Contributions Account (PDF)
- Responding to a Third Party Administrator's Access Request (PDF)
- Send or View a Secure Web Message (PDF)
- Setting Up Two-Step Verification (PDF)
- Viewing a Submission (PDF)
Maine Paid Leave Employer Webinar: What you need to know before benefits begin May 1, 2026
PFML Translated Informational Videos for employers
- للموظفين الذين لديهم ترجمة باللغة العربية (يوتيوب) - Arabic
- Pour les employeurs, avec sous-titres français (YouTube) - French
- Pou Anplwayè yo, avèk Soutit Ayisyen/Kreyòl (YouTube) - Haitian/Creole
- Pona ba patrons, na ba Sous-titres ya Lingala (YouTube) - Lingala
- Para empregadores, com legendas em português (YouTube) - Portuguese
- Loo-shaqeeyayaasha, oo wata Qoraal-hoosaadyo Af-Soomaali ah (YouTube) - Somali
- Para empleadores, con subtítulos en español (YouTube) – Spanish
Required Notices for Employees
PFML Labor Posters
- Paid Familiy and Medical Leave Poster - English (PDF)
- Affiche sur les congés familiaux et médicaux payés - French (PDF)
- Cartaz sobre baixa médica e familiar remunerada - Portuguese (PDF)
- Boodhadhka Fasaxa Qoyska iyo Caafimaadka ee Lacag-bixinta ah - Somali (PDF)
- Póster sobre licencia familiar y médica remunerada - Spanish (PDF)
Have questions about Employer appeals? Visit the Employer Appeals web page
READY TO GET STARTED?
Visit the Paid Family and Medical Leave Portal to learn more, access resources, or prepare to apply.