Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) allows eligible workers to take an extended period of time off to deal with life’s most disruptive events without risking their financial stability, employment, or health insurance. It’s similar to FMLA, only paid. It is different from single-day leave benefits like paid sick days.

Paid Family & Medical Leave is self-funded through a small payroll contribution from the employer and employee. It does not use taxpayer dollars. The money is pooled in a dedicated fund to keep costs low for workers and employers.

PFML is funded entirely by payroll contributions, at no additional cost to the state government.^*

*Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center (2024). Funding mechanisms for state paid family and medical leave programs. https://pn3policy.org ; https://pn3policy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PN3_PFML-Funding-Brief_FINAL.pdf

At least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, so Kansans can take care of themselves or their family.

An employee who’s met the minimum number of hours worked or income earned over the past year can file a claim when they welcome a new baby or when they or an immediate family member is experiencing a serious medical condition.

Yes but only 38% of employees in Kansas are eligible to take time off work through the FMLA. And this time off is unpaid. The majority of employees are not eligible for FMLA either because they or their employer don’t meet the requirements. Even those eligible often do not take FMLA because they can’t afford to take time off without pay.

Yes, some employers pay for commercial short-term disability insurance. These policies provide covered employees with a percentage of their income during time when they are unable to work due to illness or injury, or a disability during pregnancy or recovery from childbirth. It is also important to note that this insurance coverage is separate from accidents or injuries through workers’ compensation. A typical policy provides 60% of an employee’s income, up to a cap, for a period of up to 26 weeks.

Similarly, a state PFML program replaces a percentage of an employee’s income up to a cap and for less time than a standard short-term disability policy.

14 and counting! California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and Washington.

Employers have the flexibility to choose the state program or continue with their current private insurance option as long as the benefits for their employees are equal to or greater than those of the state program.

Employers have options to find competitive pricing, convenience, flexibility, or offer more generous benefits to keep their competitive edge.

Employers can:

1. Use the state PFML fund. And in any option, employers who want to can always decide
2. Select from commercial insurance carriers (all certified by the state)
3. Self-insure, which may appeal to larger employers that would prefer to maintain more control.

The new statewide paid family & medical leave program will help keep businesses stable. A statewide system helps employers manage the unexpected cost of absences. Paid leave also keeps people employed. Businesses with paid leave retain employees longer and save on turnover costs. A statewide paid leave program will help Kansas’ small businesses compete with larger companies when it comes to hiring and benefits.

A statewide paid leave program will also help businesses to retain and support Black, Indigenous, and employees of color and women. People who have access to paid leave after giving birth are 93% more likely to be working 9-12 months postpartum than those who do not. 80% of them return to the same employer.

Employers who want a competitive advantage can volunteer to pay their workers’ share of the payroll contribution.

Yes. Nearly every Kansan will need paid leave at some point in their lives. And businesses can’t put an employee’s illness, like cancer, in their business plan. In a 2023 poll, 79 percent of likely voters reported supporting a federal paid leave program; this includes 74 percent of independent or third-party voters, 72 percent of Republicans, and 92 percent of Democrats.

Evidence from the states with existing programs shows little to no abuse. In a survey of California employers, the vast majority said they were unaware of any instances of their employees abusing the state’s paid family leave program. In a study of New Jersey’s paid family leave program, not a single employer interviewed identified even a single instance of abuse. Indeed, several Human Resources managers interviewed expressed their views that abuse of the program was a virtual impossibility.