The Maine Department of Labor will manage contributions paid by employers into the new paid family and medical leave system through an online portal. (Photo by Maine Morning Star)
At the onset of the year, Maine employers began withholding a portion of wages to pay into the new paid family and medical leave fund, which the Department of Labor will manage through an online system launched on Monday.
On the paid family and medical leave portal, employers will be able to register, designate a payroll processor, file quarterly wage reports and remit quarterly premium contributions, according to a news release from the Maine Department of Labor.
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All employers must register on the portal to start reporting wages in April. The first quarterly wage reporting and premium payments are due by April 30.
“We encourage employers to register and explore the new portal as soon as possible in order to be prepared to begin wage reporting in April, and encourage people to stay up to date by visiting our website,” said Luke Monahan, director of paid family and medical leave for the department.
In the first hour after the portal launched, more than 100 employers successfully registered, the department noted. So far, it has taken an average of nine minutes to register from a desktop and five minutes from a mobile device.
Self-employed individuals and tribal governments can also use the portal to elect to have coverage.
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Starting Jan. 1, employers with at least one Maine-based employee were required to start making contributions into the system. Employers with 15 or more workers will contribute 1% of wages, but may deduct half of that from employee wages. Employers with fewer employees will contribute 0.5% and may take all of it from employees’ wages.
The department finalized the rules for the benefits program last month after multiple rounds of public input. The program will allow eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child. Employees are expected to be able to access the benefit starting May 1, 2026.
The department has a call center specifically for questions related to paid family and medical leave, which can be reached at 207-621-5024. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The department worked with FAST Enterprises — the same company that created the Maine Tax Portal — to build the online contributions portal.
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