We previously reported that Massachusetts employers should be preparing for upcoming compliance deadlines under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave law, including the May 31, 2019, employee notice date. On May 1, 2019, though, the Department of Family and Medical Leave announced that it was extending the deadline for employers to provide notice of the law to employees until June 30, 2019.

The Department also extended the deadline for employers to apply for a private plan exemption. For Quarter 1 (July 1, 2019 – September 30, 2019) only, the deadline to file for a private plan exemption has been moved from June 30, 2019, to September 20, 2019.

The Department noted that contributions to the PFML fund will begin on July 1, 2019, and the extension of the exemption application deadline only impacts the contribution requirements if the exemption request is ultimately approved. If the exemption request is denied, the impacted business will be responsible for remitting the full contribution amount from July 1, 2019, forward.

Going forward, the Department said that it will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis but that applications must be approved in the quarter prior to the quarter in which they go into effect.

The extension comes on the heels of 12 public listening sessions held by the Department on its draft regulations on paid family and medical leave. The Department is still accepting comments on the draft regulations and is hosting two additional hearings on May 23 and 24, 2019, to hear further public comments.