The Providers’ Council has filed comments on draft regulations for the Department of Family and Medical Leave that have been circulated by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, citing numerous questions and challenges raised by members. Council staff attended listening sessions across the Commonwealth and surveyed members about financial impacts as it worked to compose the comments.
In the document, the Council lists some overarching concerns with the draft regulations, and raises nearly 20 other questions and issues about the plan to create paid family and medical leave for workers throughout Massachusetts. The major issues the Council raises include:
- Developing a waiver for community-based human services providers that do not yet have reimbursement for Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions built into their Chapter 257 rates;
- Pushing back the initial contribution date to January 1, 2020 to give the state more time to develop regulations, assess the law and determine its impact;
- Increasing the time frame for an employer’s response under the law from “five calendar days” to “ten business days”;
- Ensuring clarification around the accrual of vacation time, sick time and other benefits, noting it would be unprecedented for employees to accrue additional benefits while out on family or medical leave; and
- Clarifying how employees will continue to pay health insurance premiums while on leave and exploring a mechanism with the Department of Family and Medical Leave to ensure payment.
You can download the Providers’ Council full comments on the draft regulations here.
For more information about the Department of Family and Medical Leave, you can visit the DFML website. If you have questions about the impact on your organization or additional comments on the regulations, please email Bill Yelenak at bill@providers.org or call 617.428.3637 x122.
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