Paid family & medical leave
Paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws set the standards for managing employee work absences, from caring for a loved one, to recovering from illness or injury, to welcoming a child. These tools can help you navigate ongoing law changes, so you can stay compliant and efficiently help employees get back to performing at their best no matter the location.
More and more states are passing PFML laws. Although they may follow the same basic principles, each state looks a little different in terms of the program name, benefit provisions and eligibility requirements. Select the state below for an overview of the programs and resources available to help you navigate them:
Want more information about expanded access to paid family leave? Our paid leave benefit rider, available on short-term disability (STD) insurance, is the most widely available of its type. Learn about it here.*
Educational resources
Use these tools and resources to stay up to date on the latest happening with PFML across the country.
The value of offering disability insurance and PFML benefits
Disability insurance and PFML work together to provide your workforce with the financial protection they need during a leave. While PFML covers specific medical or family-related absences for up to 12 weeks a year, the financial protection is capped at a maximum amount, pre-determined by the state. On the other hand, disability insurance offers income protection up to a certain percentage of their salary, and it is available each time they have a disability claim (even if that’s multiple claims per year).
Generally, when you offer disability insurance in combination with PFML, the disability payment will be reduced by the Paid Medical Leave (PML) payment, when both are received for the same period of time. If the disability benefit is higher than the PML benefit, the coordination of the two payments will total the full benefit that the disability policy determines.
Offering both disability insurance and PFML is crucial, especially in states that mandate paid leave, as it demonstrates a commitment to your employees’ well-being and helps reduce financial stress during leaves. To learn more about effectively coordinating your leave and disability benefits—and ensure they seamlessly work together—visit the Guardian Absence Management Blog.
Guardian can help you manage it all
Effective employee leave management is key to helping ensure your business properly assists employees, remains compliant, and avoids costly fines. But staying on top of changing state and federal employee leaves can be a challenge, especially as the number of states enacting paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws has steadily increases.
With more than a decade of experience providing statutory disability plans, Guardian puts together resources for PFML plan implementation and management that works for you, no matter the level of complexity. We can help reduce your administrative burden and enhance compliance to ensure leaves are managed as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Our plans are fully insured, state-approved, and backed by digital capabilities designed to help make administration easier
Links to external sites are provided for your convenience in locating related information and services. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for and do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof.
*The rider is currently available in 30+ states across the US.
Guardian Group Short Term Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-STD-15. The state approved form is the governing document.
Links to external sites are provided for your convenience in locating related information and services. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for and do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof.
*The rider is currently available in 30+ states across the US.
Guardian Group Short Term Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-STD-15. The state approved form is the governing document.