The Healthy Delaware Families Act created a statewide paid family and medical leave program that will help ensure working families in the First State are never again forced to make an impossible choice between earning a paycheck and staying home to welcome a newborn or provide care to a family member fighting for their life.
Cosponsored by every member of the Delaware Senate Democrats, this bipartisan legislation signed into law in May 2022 represents one of the greatest expansions of the social safety net in generations.
Once fully implemented, the legislation will provide eligible full-time workers in the First State with up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave a year, and up to 6 weeks of paid family caregiving leave, paid medical leave or paid military leave every two years, once fully implemented.
Funded through payroll contributions equaling less than 1% of an employee’s weekly pay and split evenly between workers and their employers, the bill will mean workers forced to take extended time away from their jobs due to a major family or medical event will be able to earn up to 80% of their average weekly wages through a state insurance program created by the legislation.
Businesses with less than 10 employees may opt into the paid leave program. Collection of the payroll contributions are set to begin in 2025, while the benefits will first be available in 2026.
