Mainers can start applying for benefits through the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Program.
Applications opened Monday.
The leave must take place on or after May 1 for it to be approved. The program provides up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or family member, recover from a serious medical condition, prepare for a family member’s deployment or find safety if the individual or a family member is the victim of abuse, violence or sexual assault.
For the last 15 months, Maine employers and workers have each been contributing 0.5% of their wages into the state’s paid family and medical leave fund.
Now that the fund is solvent, the Maine Department of Labor said it can start paying out benefits to qualified applicants starting May 1.
Employers with fewer than 15 workers are not required to pay into the program. Employees at small organizations, however, will still contribute 0.5% of their wages and are eligible to receive benefits.
Maine is the 13th state to establish a paid family and medical leave program. The District of Columbia also has a program.
More information about the program and how to apply for benefits can be found here.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
