As of October 1, Massachusetts’ new Paid Family & Medical Leave has begun. Religious employers (including churches, synagogues, mosques, temples) are excluded from the law, but may choose to opt in using a process that has not yet been publicized. Secular employers have begun withholding the family and medical leave tax from employees. Some churches may have received an email with the subject line: “Auto Registered for Paid Family and Medical Leave Account” and been assigned an Account ID beginning with PFM. Others did not receive that email.
Two things for religious employers to do now:
- If you use a payroll service, verify that the tax is not being withheld from your employees’ paychecks. You will have to call your payroll service and explain that you are a religious institution, that by law is excluded from this tax until and unless your governing board votes to opt in to the program.
- Review the (lengthy, but complete) memo posted here and on the Southern New England Conference UCC webpage for an in-depth look at the program and its benefits and requirements.
Check back here for updates regarding the opt-in process.