ERIC Submits Regulatory Comment Letter on Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave

Last week, ERIC submitted a regulatory comment letter addressing several concerns raised by Massachusetts’s updated draft regulations related to implementation of the state’s paid family and medical leave insurance program. Primarily, our comments focused on the continued need for a delay of the contribution collection process due to the short time allotted to development and correction of major issues within the current regulations. We focused on several of these major issues, including employer obligations with respect to covered contract workers, exemption from contribution and reporting requirements, the scope of penalty provisions, and interaction with employer-provided benefits. 

The letter was filed ahead of the two public hearings that were held by the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave on May 23 and 24 to address public feedback and finalize regulations. The Department has stated that they expect to promulgate the final regulations ahead of the statute’s July 1 deadline, which is the same date that program contribution collections are currently scheduled to begin.

To read ERIC’s comment letter in its entirety, click here.  

Article by Dillon Clair, Retirement and Compensation Policy Associate