Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Applications Now Open, Benefits Start May 1

Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman announced Friday that applications for the state's new Paid Family and Medical Leave program opened Monday, March 30, with benefit payments of up to 90 percent of wages available for eligible leave starting May 1.

Workers in Bath, Brunswick, Topsham, Woolwich, and Bowdoinham are among the roughly 680,000 Mainers the program covers, including part-time and self-employed workers. To qualify, employees must have earned at least six times the state's average weekly wage during a base period. With Maine's 2025 average weekly wage set at $1,199, that threshold comes to roughly $7,194, which officials have rounded to approximately $7,000.

"People won't have to choose between taking care of a family member and their paycheck anymore," Luke Monahan, director of the state's paid leave program, said in January.

Eligible workers can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for a serious health condition, bonding with a new child, caring for an ill family member, a family member's impending military deployment, or safety leave related to domestic violence, harassment, or sexual assault. Aflac will administer the application and approval process on behalf of the state.

"This program represents a major step forward for Maine's workers, families, and businesses," Fortman said. "Paid Family and Medical Leave gives people time to care for themselves and their loved ones with some financial support, reducing stress and making leave more possible. When families are supported, workplaces and communities across Maine are stronger."

The program survived legal challenge before reaching this milestone. Bath Iron Works and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce sued to block the payroll assessment; Maine's Supreme Judicial Court rejected that challenge in 2025. LD 1964 was signed into law in 2023, program parameters were finalized in December 2024, and payroll contributions began in January 2025.

For employers with 15 or more workers, the contribution is 1 percent of wages, split evenly between employer and employee. Companies with fewer than 15 employees contribute 0.5 percent, which employers may withhold entirely from paychecks. The Legislature also allocated a one-time $25 million appropriation to establish the fund, which state officials project will remain financially sustainable for at least the next decade.

Self-employed workers must elect coverage by submitting a request through the Maine Paid Leave Contributions Portal.

Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, who spoke at an Augusta rally in April 2025 supporting the law, represents a region whose workforce is among the first to put the program to use. Maine now joins 13 other states and the District of Columbia with a paid family and medical leave program in place.