Statutory & Paid Family and Medical Leave

Sun Life currently offers Fully Insured and/or Self-Insured private plan administration for Paid Family and Medical Leave or Statutory Disability in the following states:

• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• Washington

On horizon:

• Delaware (leaves begin 1/1/2026)
• Maine (leaves begin 5/1/2026)
• Maryland (leaves begin 7/1/2026) 
• Minnesota (leaves begin 1/1/2026) 

Click on the links above for detailed information or visit State Programs for highlights by state. 

The following states and the District of Columbia have adopted either paid leave for employees or Paid Family and Medical Leave laws: 

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware (leaves begin 1/1/2026)
• Hawaii
• Maine (leaves begin 5/1/2026)
• Maryland (leaves begin 7/1/2026) 
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota (leaves begin 1/1/2026) 
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont 
• Washington
• Washington D.C.

Click on the links above for detailed information or visit State Programs for highlights by state. 

Several states and the District of Columbia require that employers offer their employees a minimum level of disability or leave benefits for their own serious health condition, to care for a family member, for bonding, or other leave reasons. Some states treat time away from work during which statutory benefits are paid as being job-protected leave, while others do not.

Employers who choose private plan administration through Sun Life receive:

• A coordinated experience between PFML, Short-Term Disability and Absence Management Solutions, if applicable. This leads to a better experience for employees, with one claim submission and a single case manager handling the claim for these benefits.
• Robust reporting.
• Excellent claims management and access to return to work services.
• Compliance guidance on PFML and other leave issues.

An employer’s Short-Term Disability plan will not meet the state standards in terms of, among other things, employee eligibility, waiting period, definition of disability or serious health condition. Therefore, there are a number of situations when an employee may be eligible for benefits under a state-mandated disability or paid family and medical leave program but not eligible for benefits under the Short-Term Disability program. It is also important to note that Short-Term Disability plans provide greater protection for employees in a number of circumstances and, therefore, it is important to maintain your Short-Term Disability coverage. Sun Life can discuss these issues with you. Many states permit insurance carriers to offset statutory disability benefits against Short-Term Disability payments.

To learn about important annual updates, visit our State Programs page. This page shares highlights of all state programs as well as information about updates as we learn them. These updates may affect your billing and/or the amount of premium you collect from employees.

The state mandates vary but typically apply to all private employers in the state with one or more employee. There are often exclusions for specific public employers, entities, or religiously affiliated employers. The laws apply to employees who work in the state, so these state-mandated laws are in effect regardless of where the company’s headquarters is located, or where the company’s benefit plan is sitused.