Maryland opens FAMLI registration before benefits begin

Maryland has opened employer registration for its Family and Medical Leave Insurance program. All employers with at least one Maryland-based employee are required to register and can choose the State Plan or apply to provide a private plan. When benefits become available, FAMLI will provide employees with up to 12 weeks of job-protected, paid time off and up to $1,000 a week for qualifying family, medical, and deployment-related needs. Employers must begin withholding contributions through payroll in the first pay period in January 2027, with the first contribution payment due April 30, 2027. Job-protected, paid leave becomes available beginning in January 2028. Employers with fewer than 15 employees will be exempt from the employer’s portion of the contribution, and the state says more than 80% of Maryland employers will qualify for that small employer discount. Registration starts the administrative work; employees are still waiting for benefits to begin.