To: Wellesley College Faculty and Staff
From: Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer
Re: New Paid Family Medical Leave Benefit for Wellesley Employees
Date: December 14, 2020
This is a follow up notice from our September 30, 2019 communication, announcing the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) benefit beginning on January 1, 2021. Since the new PFML leave benefit will soon be available, we are writing today to explain some details about this new paid leave benefit at Wellesley.
Eligibility for Benefits
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Wellesley College employees who are eligible for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts may be eligible for PFML benefits.
Explanation of Benefits
Beginning January 1, 2021, you may be entitled to leave up to:
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12 weeks of paid family leave in a benefit year for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child, or because of a qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that a family member is on active duty or has been notified of an impending call to active duty in the Armed Forces.
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20 weeks of paid medical leave in a benefit year if you have a serious health condition that incapacitates you from work.
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26 weeks of paid family leave in a benefit year to care for a family member who is a covered service member undergoing medical treatment or otherwise addressing consequences of a serious health condition relating to the family member’s military service.
Beginning July 1, 2021, you may be entitled to leave up to:
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12 weeks of paid family leave in a benefit year to care for a family member with a serious health condition.
Employees are eligible for no more than 26 total weeks, in the aggregate, of paid family and medical leave in a single benefit year.
Your weekly benefit amount will be based on a percentage of your earnings, with a maximum benefit of $850 per week in 2021.
Private Plan Exemption
An employer that offers paid leave with benefits that are at least as generous as those provided under the law may apply for an exemption from paying the Department of Family and Medical Leave Family and Employment Security Trust Fund contribution. Because Wellesley College benefits are in many cases more generous than the state plan, the College was approved for a private plan exemption.
Concurrent Leave
Any paid leave provided under a collective bargaining agreement or Wellesley policy and paid at the same or higher rate than paid leave available under the PFML shall run concurrently and count against the allotment of leave benefits available under the PFML.
PFML also shall run concurrently with leave that an employee takes under other laws, including the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (“FMLA”). An employee may utilize accrued sick or vacation pay or other paid leave to cover the first seven calendar days of a leave that are otherwise unpaid under the PFML.
Lincoln Financial Group
The College has partnered with Lincoln Financial Group to administer our family and medical leaves effective January 1, 2021. You may still contact Human Resources for staff leaves and the Provost’s Office for faculty leaves, and we will provide you with guidance on the process. Employees wishing to take paid family or medical leave should file a request for leave at least 30 calendar days in advance of the anticipated starting date of the leave. The request shall include the anticipated length of the leave and the expected date of return. An employee who is unable to provide 30 days’ notice due to circumstances beyond his or her control is required to provide notice as soon as practicable.
Employee Contributions
Many organizations began taking employee contributions in October, 2019. The College decided to wait until January, 2021, when the benefit was in effect before beginning employee contributions.
Massachusetts law allows employers to deduct up to .378% of employee wages up to the social security cap of $142,800 for 2021 to support the PFML benefit. Wellesley College is deducting less than that, a total of .284% of employee wages or $.28 per $100.00, in 2021 up to the social security cap. The contribution rate may be adjusted annually. If you are covered by this benefit, you cannot opt out.
The 2021 cost to the College for the enhanced benefits will be .57% of employee wages. The breakdown of contributions is as follows:
Medical Leave Benefits: .438% of employee wages
- Employer contribution: .263%
- Employee contribution: .175%
Family Leave Benefits: .13% of employee wages
- Employer contribution: .021%
- Employee contribution: .109%
Job Protection, Continuation of Health Insurance, No Retaliation
- Job Protection: Generally, if you take family or medical leave under the law you must be restored to your previous position or to an equivalent position, with the same status, pay, employment benefits, length-of-service credit and seniority as of the date of leave.
- Continuation of Health Insurance: Wellesley College must continue to provide for and contribute to your employment-related health insurance benefits, if any, at the level and under the conditions coverage would have been provided if you had continued working continuously for the duration of such leave. You will continue to be responsible for the employee portion of the health insurance during your leave.
- No Retaliation: It is unlawful for the College to discriminate or retaliate against you for exercising any right to which you’re entitled under the paid family and medical leave law. An employee or former employee who is discriminated or retaliated against for exercising rights under the law may, not more than three years after the violation occurs, institute a civil action in the superior court.
In the coming weeks, Human Resources will be putting together FAQ’s regarding PFML for employees. These FAQ’s will be posted on the Human Resources and Provost Office’s website. In the meantime, for more detailed information, please consult the Department of Family and Medical Leave website.
