If you are not a broker or consultant, explore our content for plan members and families, employers, or dentists and dental offices.
If you are not a broker or consultant, explore our content for plan members and families, employers, or dentists and dental offices.
Sun Life is eager to meet your Massachusetts PFML needs for private plan administration. Sun Life's MA PFML plan integrates with Short-Term Disability, featuring one claims number for your employees’ medical event, one case manager, one claim submission, and integrated reporting for employers.
Please speak to your Sun Life Sales Representative for more information.
The Massachusetts Department of Paid Family & Medical Leave (DFML) is the agency responsible for administering the MA PFML law. Learn from the DFML about private plan exemption requirements.
This site is created for our broker and employer Clients to help them comply with employer responsibilities under the MA PFML law.
Quick facts
Family leave
Medical leave
Yes. Sun Life offers both fully insured and self-insured private plan administration for employers.
Not subject to the law: Municipalities, districts, political subdivisions or their instrumentalities are not subject to this law, but they may opt in by majority vote by the local legislative or governing body.
This is a summary. More information can be found on the state website.
The benefit amounts for MA PFML are as follows:
Covered employees who work in MA are allowed the following in a 12-month period:
Benefit year is measured forward 52 weeks from the Sunday preceding the first day of the employee’s covered leave.
Family leave
Medical leave
The definition of serious health condition aligns with that used under the federal FMLA. Namely, a serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition involving inpatient care or continuing treatment.
Family members include:
An employee who has taken family or medical leave must be restored to the employee’s previous position or to an equivalent position, with the same status, pay, employment benefits, length-of-service credit and seniority as of the date of leave.
Yes. If you currently have the MA PFML program with the state or through a different insurance carrier and you would like to transfer to Sun Life’s MA PFML private plan, we’ve outlined the steps you need to follow.
Employers may seek approval to meet their obligations of the MA PFML law through a private plan. If approved, the employer will not be required to submit premium payments to the DFML beginning on the first of the quarter following approval of the private plan. To meet the employer’s obligations, a private plan must:
If the private plan is in the form of:
Yes, if employers choose to offer MA PFML through a private plan administrator and it is a self-insured plan then a bond is required by the DFML.
Yes. While the MA PFML law creates certain paid benefits for leave because of an employee’s own health condition or for covered caregiving reasons, the MA PFML law is not intended to replace benefits provided by employers through Short Term Disability plans and programs. It is important to know that cancelling Short-Term Disability benefits could leave your employees unprotected if they become disabled for these reasons:
You must renew your private plan as required by the DFML. Sun Life reminds Clients regularly of this obligation. There are penalties assessed by the state for employers who fail to renew their private plan. Additionally, while transferring among private plans can occur anytime, there are requirements and implications for moving from a private plan to the state plan.
More tools to prepare you for MA PFML
Questions?
Please call your Sun Life Client Relationship Executive.
If you have fewer than 100 employees, please call Client Services at 1-800-247-6875.
This content is not to be considered legal advice.
Fully insured Massashusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave coverage is underwritten by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, MA) under Policy Form Series 20-PFML-GP-01-MA. Sun Life’s self-funded or administrative services-only MA PFML solution is administered by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. This service is not insurance.
We recommend Clients speak with legal counsel specializing in labor and employment law to ensure your organization has met all of the requirements under the MA PFML law, and other applicable leave laws including but not limited to the federal FMLA and the MA FMLA.
PFMLWC-2189 #1275100373 01/24 (exp. 01/26)