BENEFITS DIGEST

The contribution mandate of Maryland's Family and Medical Leave Insurance program will soon take effect, and unionized employers face a potential labor relations challenge that requires immediate attention.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has issued new guidance confirming its position that employees who receive Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance benefits are entitled to job protection.

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act has long served as the primary framework governing employee leave, but an expanding patchwork of state paid family and medical leave laws now adds obligations that multistate employers must track alongside it.

Ogletree's filing guide for Maryland employers electing a private FAMLI plan instead of the state program: the declaration of intent, what to file, and when.

The companion piece: Maryland DOL released new employer resources ahead of the FAMLI program's first deadlines, and Ogletree rounds up what is there.

Mercer's quarterly state survey: Virginia enacted both paid family and medical leave and paid sick and safe leave, several states passed major PBM laws including a Tennessee statute challenged in court the day it took effect, and Alabama, Georgia, and Texas legislated on AI use in benefits.

The Fourth Circuit held an employee could pursue a failure-to-accommodate claim where he asked to be moved to open positions and was instead parked on unpaid leave. A reminder that leave is an accommodation of last resort, not a safe harbor.

Preparing for Maryland's FAMLI program will require coordination across HR, payroll, benefits, and legal teams. Ballard Spahr on the requirements and the planning employers should start now.

Starting January 1, 2027, Illinois employers with at least 26 employees must provide employees with paid leave for jury service.

The IRS provides guidance on new requirements for the employer credit for paid family and medical leave under section 45S, reflecting the permanent expansion of the credit under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger recently signed into law paid sick leave (PSL) entitlements for nearly all employees working in the Commonwealth. The law will have a staggered effective date, with the earliest changes taking effect in mid-2027.

Local governments often lead on workplace issues like paid sick leave, discrimination, and pay equity.

Colorado employers face new compliance obligations under recently enacted laws addressing artificial intelligence-driven employment decisions, demographic workforce reporting, disability accommodations, wage-and-hour requirements, and Family and Medical Leave Insurance administration, with effective dates arriving through this summer.

Massachusetts employers should prepare for an important change to the Commonwealth’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) contribution structure beginning January 1, 2027.

Massachusetts employers may see a change in their contribution rates under the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program beginning January 1, 2027.

On May 13, 2026, the Allegheny County Health Department’s Board of Health voted to approve a significant amendment to the County’s existing Paid Sick Leave rules. The proposed amendment would add a new paid parental leave requirement while also expanding existing sick leave obligations

Hawaii has enacted a new law expanding the state’s family leave law to better support military families. Hawaii’s family leave statute will allow eligible employees to take unpaid family leave for

For years, employers in the Washington metropolitan area could treat paid family and medical leave as a “somewhere else” problem, an issue for companies with workforces in California, New York, or

It is that time of year again when many state paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs roll out mid-year updates to benefit levels and

Virginia recently enacted two new paid leave laws – one requires covered employers to provide paid sick leave, and the other creates paid family and medical leave. Although these laws do not go into