Bolton is independent — and this matters here.
Many private-plan quote tools online are run by brokers with a plan to sell. Read those numbers accordingly. We don’t sell the plans we evaluate.
FAMLI is a lot to sort out. You don’t have to do it alone.
Independent advice from consultants who know leave benefits inside and out. No plans to sell, just the right call for your organization and your people.
FAMLI applies to every Maryland employer with at least one employee.
No size exemption. Here's what that means, by timeframe.
When
What Happens
Call to action
Fall 2026
Employer registration opens. Private Plan employers must submit a Declaration of Intent between September 1 and November 15, 2026. Register at famli.maryland.gov
Schedule a FAMLI Readiness Consultation with Bolton.
Jan. 2027
Payroll contributions begin — 0.9% of wages, shared between employer and employee (State Plan) or held in escrow (private plan).
April 2027
First quarterly wage and hour reporting period. Employers begin submitting FAMLI wage and hour reports.
Partner with Bolton as your compliance and reporting support partner.
July 2027
Finalize leave administration processes and employee communications.
Partner with Bolton for paid leave coordination analysis, Life and Disability RFP support, and ongoing compliance consulting services.
Jan. 2028
Benefits become available. Eligible employees can begin filing claims for paid family and medical leave.
What you need to do
Now — Through Fall 2026
Next year — 2027
2028 — Benefits go live
Sign up with the state when registration opens. Every employer has to.
January — Small payroll deductions start (0.9% of pay), split between you and your team.
January — Benefits start. Your employees can begin taking paid leave.
Pick your plan. Use the state's plan, or set up your own. This is the big one.
April — File your first wage report with the state.
Every quarter — Keep filing your wage reports with the state.
Want your own plan? Tell the state between Sept. 1 and Nov. 15, 2026. Miss the window and you wait a full year.
Summer — If you're running your own plan, you can apply now.
Keep records — Hold on to your paperwork for five years.
Check your current benefits so the new leave fits with what your team already has.
July — Tell your employees what's coming, at least 6 months ahead.
State Plan or Private Plan?
Every employer chooses — deliberately or by default. Cost matters, but fit with your existing plan and admin capacity usually calls it.
State Plan
Private Plan
Contributions are remitted to Maryland at the standard 0.9% rate. Simplest to administer — the State handles claims and pays benefits. The default if you take no action.
A carrier or self-insured plan that meets or exceeds State benefits. Requires a Declaration of Intent, escrowed contributions, and separate reporting — but can align more closely with your existing benefits.
Where employers get stuck
-
Not enough bandwidth to evaluate private plan quotes objectively.
-
Unclear how FAMLI stacks with current FMLA, STD, and sick leave.
-
No one’s decided who owns this decision internally.
We help you get two things right.
FAMLI comes down to the plan you choose and the people it affects. We help you handle both, and hand you something you can stand behind.
-
1. A plan decision you can defend
We work through the choice with you, so you get:
- A straight cost comparison — State Plan vs. private, apples to apples.
- Confirmation FAMLI won’t conflict with the leave and disability benefits you already have.
- An independent second opinion on any private plan quote.
- A written rationale you can hand to leadership — no guessing later.
-
2. A workforce that isn’t caught off guard
We help you prepare your people, so you get:
- Managers with real answers to leave-stacking questions, not guesses.
- Employees who understand what’s changing before it hits their paycheck.
- Notices that go beyond the state’s legal minimum.