Maryland launches family and medical leave insurance program with payments of up to $1,000 a week

BALTIMORE, Md. — Maryland is launching a new program that will guarantee income for workers taking family or medical leave, and the state is working to make employers and employees aware of the upcoming changes.

Any employer with at least one employee must participate in the state's new Family and Medical Leave Insurance program.

The program provides payments of up to $1,000 a week for people on family or medical leave.

Workers in Maryland will contribute 0.45% of their gross income to the program.

The state says the average Maryland worker will contribute about $1 a day.

"Paid leave has tremendous benefits for not only workers but also for employers and businesses," Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu said. "It increases retention. It helps to keep people attached to the workforce and helps smaller businesses who might not otherwise be able to support such a benefit keep their skilled talent working with them."

Workers can receive up to $12,000 in paid leave per year.

"In exchange for that, what workers get is job protection as well as income replacement of up to close to $1,000 a week for the average worker in the event that something happens," Wu said.

Wu said the program addresses a gap that leaves many workers financially vulnerable during unexpected health crises.

"Everyone knows someone where a sudden stroke or heart attack or cancer or their spouse has a suddenly need to take leave. The fact is, workers aren't able to work when these incidents happen often, and what's what they're doing now is totally losing their pay and risking their jobs. And so this program will make sure that does not happen and provide that financial security that Maryland families and workers really need and deserve," Wu said.

Employers need to register now. Contributions will not come out of paychecks until Jan. 1.

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