At Madison Resources, it is our hope that we are perceived as a true partner to your staffing firm. To that end, we are always looking to assist you in providing necessary information, to promote accuracy and efficiencies, and make helpful resources available to you.
New Hampshire employers and workers can participate in the New Hampshire Paid Family and Medical Leave plan (NH PFML), a voluntary insurance plan that provides NH workers with up to 60% wage replacement coverage for up to six (6) weeks per year for specified leaves of absence.
NH PFML is available to all NH employers and NH workers through MetLife, the state’s PFML insurance partner. NH PFML insurance is accessible to employers as a group plan and to workers as an individual plan. Workers may enroll in the NH PFML individual plan for themselves if their employer does not provide NH PFML insurance or equivalent benefits.
NH PFML insurance can be purchased from MetLife either directly or through an insurance agent, broker, or consultant. When purchasing through MetLife, employers can customize certain aspects of their coverage, however, requirements may apply.
Employers who purchase NH PFML insurance through MetLife are eligible to receive a Business Enterprise Tax (BET) credit of up to 50% of the premium they pay on behalf of their workers each year.
What does this mean for you?
NH PFML insurance was established in state law as a voluntary insurance program. Employers are not required to provide NH PFML insurance but will still have responsibilities if their workers enroll in the NH PFML individual plan.
When deciding whether to provide NH PFML to their workers, all employers should:
- Research NH PFML by visiting the New Hampshire’s Paid Family and Medical Leave website or contacting an agent, broker, or consultant
- Consider the BET credit for 50% of the portion of the NH PFML insurance premium paid by an employer for up to (6) weeks of coverage each year
- Recognize that eligible NH workers can enroll in the NH PFML individual plan if the employer does not offer a NH PFML group plan or equivalent benefit plans
When NH PFML insurance is in effect, either through an employer or a worker purchased plan, all employers will need to:
- Provide support for enrolled workers. MetLife will provide employers with enrollment materials they can use to assist their workers. If NH PFML is 100% employer paid, workers will be automatically enrolled in the employer’s plan
- Make applicable premium payment arrangements with MetLife, which may involve taking payroll deductions
- Address worker questions and direct workers to MetLife to file a claim
- Provide wage and leave information, work schedules and other benefits information to MetLife to support claims processing
- Establish a process to continue existing benefits when a worker has a NH PFML insurance claim
- Not discriminate or retaliate against any worker for accessing NH PFML benefits
Specific responsibilities are determined based on whether an employer is considered a large or small employer. Large employers are those with 50+ workers, and small employers are those with 50 or fewer workers. Complete the following steps to determine if you qualify as a large employer or small employer. The
workforce size assessment will apply for the policy year.
- At the time of your enrollment, count your total NH workers (not total U.S. workers) for each of the past four quarters
- Divide that total by four to calculate an average across all four quarters.
- if the average is 50 or greater, your qualify as a large employer; if the average is less than 50, you qualify as a small employer.
Qualifying Common Life Events:
Under NH PFML, a serious health condition is defined as:
- Conditions requiring inpatient care
- Incapacity for more than three (3) days with continuing treatment by a health care provider
- Incapacity relating to pregnancy or prenatal care
- Permanent or long-term incapacity
- Certain conditions requiring multiple treatment, and Chronic serious health conditions that may prevent a person from working for a minimum of four (4) hours, for example, a person with epilepsy may not be able to work due to an epileptic episode
Under NH PFML, a family member means a:
- Child including biological, adoptive, foster or stepchild, legal ward, or child of a person standing in loco parentis who is under 18 years of age or 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability
- Child’s spouse or domestic partner
- Spouse of domestic partner
- Parent including biological, adoptive, foster or stepparent, or legal guardian of the worker or the worker’s spouse or domestic partner
- Grandparent including biological, adoptive, foster or step grandparent
How can we help?
Madison Resources, as your payroll service provider, will deduct employee contributions from your enrolled employee’s paycheck during payroll processing and remit those funds back to you for further remittance to MetLife.
As always, we recommend speaking with your attorney, CPA, or industry professional for further guidance.
For more information:
To access the NH PFML site:
https://www.paidfamilymedicalleave.nh.gov/employers
To access the Employer Toolkit:
https://www.paidfamilymedicalleave.nh.gov/employers/employer-toolkit
To access the Employer Guidebook:
https://www.paidfamilymedicalleave.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt781/files/documents/nh-pfml-employer-toolkit_0.pdf
To access the Employer NH PFML Fact Sheet:
https://www.paidfamilymedicalleave.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt781/files/documents/nh-pfml-fact-sheet_6.2.23.pdf
To access the Employer FAQ’s:
https://www.paidfamilymedicalleave.nh.gov/employers/frequently-asked-questions
Contact Information:
For additional information and questions, contact:
MetLife Customer Solution Center for NH PFML
1-866-595-PFML (7365)
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