TLMI

Become a Member
Log In
Menu

2025 Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Award Highlight: Henkel

Jessica Avery on February 20, 2026

The Calvin Frost Sustainability Awards recognize companies making meaningful strides toward a more sustainable future. These awards are presented in three categories, each reflecting a different point on the sustainability journey.

Judges were deeply impressed with this year’s supplier winner, Henkel. Henkel’s year-over-year progress, transparency, and groundbreaking innovation wowed the judges. By producing water-based adhesives from captured CO₂ emissions, they’ve created an entirely new pathway for renewable content in packaging and consumer goods. With reductions in water usage, waste, emissions, and energy consumption, this company is proving that industrial innovation can go hand-in-hand with planetary stewardship. Their work creates transformational impact for the good of generations.

 

 

Preparing Your Workplace for AI: A Practical Employer’s Guide

Jessica Avery on February 13, 2026

By: Paige McAllister, Vice President of Compliance, The Workplace Advisors

 

First, a quick disclaimer: I am an HR professional, not an IT expert. When it comes to the technical aspects of your computer infrastructure, including integrating AI, please consult with people knowledgeable with that technology and who you trust to help you determine what is right for you.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, whether you want it to be or not. In the short time AI has been part of the public domain, its uses and access have increased exponentially. A large number of software programs and platforms automatically offer their users some sort of AI assistance. During the course of writing this article, my email offered to draft my reply to the request to write it, my internet browser summarized its findings from my search inquiry before listing some of the links for me to read myself, and my word processing program offered to draft the whole article for me based on whatever prompts I entered in (good news, bad news – I opted to write it all myself). All of this was available to me without my downloading or accessing any AI-specific programs; these functions are just part of the programs I have been using for years.

 

Since the issue is no longer if you want AI to be part of your day, you need to assess when and how the people in your company will use it. In most cases, AI does not replace people. Instead, when done right, AI allows employees to work smarter by eliminating mindless, repetitive tasks and improving their performance by supporting them with their job tasks.

 

AI can be used in management, operations, finance, IT, HR, marketing, administration, research, etc. There are very few jobs that could not recognize a benefit from using AI. Therefore, I recommend every company include an initiative in their 2026 planning to explore AI implementation and usage.

 

However, it is critical to realize AI’s limitations and know it is just one tool in your toolbox. For example, we have researched and experimented with how AI can help with various HR functions, including drafting a handbook, doing research, and screening candidates, with the following results:

 

  • Handbooks – After entering specific criteria, we use them to develop handbooks. The AI-developed handbook did not include all recommended policies or required state laws and was written in a way that would be hard for many employees to understand.
  • Research – While gathering information on a topic, the AI-generated summary conflicted with the actual state law, even though it provided it as a reference.
  • Screening – After inputting a job description, the results of the AI-based screening of applicants eliminated some very qualified candidates and included some that did not meet the basic criteria. Additionally, when used to select candidates, any AI tool must be properly vetted and tested to ensure it is not generating discriminatory results.

 

How to use AI: Here are just a few of the unlimited examples of how AI can help your employees (and therefore your company) perform better.

 

Productivity: Help employees use their work time more constructively, freeing them up to focus on more strategic and profitable responsibilities.

  • Task management – Pull action items from emails, virtual meetings and recorded meetings and track their progress.
  • Time management – Plan the time it takes to complete tasks or projects while planning an optimized workday to get everything done.
  • Team coordination – Develop team boards for better collaboration and communication.

Caution: Every employee has different ways they work so make sure all tools support, not restrict, how they work best.

 

Writing: Help employees, especially those having issues, draft better communication.

  • Save time – Create an initial draft using basic information and parameters.
  • Improve readability – Polish up an employee’s first draft and make it suitable for the target audience.
  • Correct grammar – Clean up tricky formatting such as citations to avoid plagiarism.

Caution: Be sure to review and refine any AI-drafted communication to ensure it is accurate, on message, and has a personal tone and style.

 

Research: Help employees find improved topics and sources and to better understand the content.

  • Brainstorming – Generate new ideas and refine topics from broad concepts to determine your next course of action.
  • Find more sources – Find different and more on-target resources for material.
  • Analysis – Have complex documents summarized or specific information extracted to match topic.

Caution: Verify all sources before relying on the information and be sure all references are properly cited.

 

How to get started: Regardless of how you plan to use AI in your company, you should include the following steps in your implementation plan.

  • Determine how you want or may want AI used to meet the needs of applicable departments, positions, and/or employees.
  • Designate a person or, preferably, a team with IT, operational, legal, and financial responsibilities to investigate valid options which will perform the tasks needed at the budgeted price without compromising network security.
  • Research the laws and regulations in your state, if applicable, to ensure you are using AI properly and compliantly. More states are passing such legislation so stay up-to-date on any changes.
  • Ensure your options protect the confidentiality of private and proprietary information.
  • Assess the skill and aptitude of the individuals who will be using AI to ensure they can use the selected tools. DO NOT make assumptions based on protected groups (i.e., age, gender, national origin, disability) as to who will and will not be able to use AI effectively.
  • Explain what AI is meant to do (i.e., save time by reducing repetitive tasks) and not do (i.e., replace your human capital).
  • Find opportunities to train employees in how they can and are expected to use AI in their jobs and then have them relay what they learn to others.
  • Encourage employees to safely experiment with AI to find other ways to improve productivity, clarity, profitability, etc.

 

How to protect yourself: When implementing a new structure in the workplace, especially an emerging technology, it is critical to create a solid foundation which includes the following:

  • Until you have a defined company-approved usage, issue a clear policy to all employees prohibiting them to use AI without specific management approval.
  • Set guidelines for what tools can and cannot be used and who can use them for what tasks.
  • Draft and publish policies and procedures covering tools that are and are not selected by the company.
  • Monitor employee use and consistently enforce your policies to ensure proper usage but, more importantly, to ensure confidentiality is not violated.
  • Experiment safely using a well-trained group to determine what works before rolling out to everyone.
  • Keep communication open so employees know they can ask questions.
  • Reassure employees that AI is being used as a tool to enhance their performance, not to replace them.
  • Keep your other protocols since AI is not perfect – check for mistakes, do your own research, proofread the document, and ensure message is what you want and tone is personal/not artificial.

 

While AI can seem intimidating, every company needs to accept that AI is impacting every aspect of our lives in some way. Companies that refuse to address how AI can help them will be outpaced by their competitors who do.

 

The Workplace Advisors can help you move from AI curiosity to AI clarity. We offer a customizable “Use of AI” policy template to help you set guardrails, protect your organization, and give employees clear guidance. Email us at hello@theworkplaceadvisors.com to request a copy.

 

Are you a TLMI Member looking for more resources from The Workplace Advisors? Click here to access February’s Q&A in Community.

Industry Leadership at a Crossroads: Reflections from the AWAVirtual™ Insights Forum 2026

Jessica Avery on February 12, 2026

By Dale Coates

TLMI CEO & President

 

At the 2026 AWAVirtual™ Insights Forum, I had the opportunity to join fellow industry leaders in a discussion about the future of labeling and packaging, an industry experiencing profound regulatory, technological, and cultural transformation. As CEO & President of TLMI, I was honored to share perspectives on where change is happening fastest and how associations like ours can help guide the industry toward a more sustainable, innovative, and resilient future. 

 

A Convergence of Forces Reshaping the Industry 

From my vantage point, the most consequential shift occurring in the labeling and packaging ecosystem today is the accelerating demand for design for recyclability, driven largely by tightening regulations and increasingly sustainability minded consumers. In the United States, the emergence of state level Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs is ushering in new accountability across the value chain. These changes are reshaping how companies think about everything from material selection to long-term capital investment.  

Culturally, younger generations now expect sustainability to be embedded in every decision, from product development to packaging disposal. What once felt optional has become an operating requirement. 

 

Infrastructure: The Unmoved Bottleneck 

When asked what entrenched practice I would redesign to advance circularity, the answer was difficult only because the issue has remained unchanged for decades: the U.S. recycling system. In many regions, recycling is poorly understood, inconvenient, inconsistent, and in some cases nonexistent. Even where systems do exist, they are not designed to handle the diversity of packaging materials in the market today. 

Circularity at scale will remain out of reach until packaging is designed with its next life in mind, and until our infrastructure can support that journey. Regulation may be the only mechanism strong enough to push toward the uniformity and capability required. 

 

Collaboration as the Engine for Progress 

Despite infrastructure challenges, encouraging progress is happening throughout the supply chain. TLMI member converters are collaborating closely with material suppliers to develop packaging that meets performance expectations while becoming increasingly recyclable or reusable. Innovation is active and accelerating, though the amount of packaging yet to be reimagined remains significant. 

Associations play a unique and essential role here. TLMI convenes printers, suppliers, sustainability leaders, and experts through our committees, working groups, and educational programs. With guidance from our in-house expert Rosalyn Bandy, we help create alignment, foster open dialogue, and amplify a unified voice that is stronger than what any single company could project on its own. 

 

Where Innovation Is Taking Hold and Where It’s Held Back 

Across the industry, we’re seeing innovation in waste reduction, process efficiency, and recycling friendly materials. TLMI’s Liner Recycling Initiative (LRI), developed with Resource Recycling Systems, is a prime example: by connecting generators of liner with mills, haulers, and recyclers, we help valuable material find its way into second life markets rather than landfills. 

Yet innovation remains constrained by economics, specifically, the cost of redesigned materials and the uncertain value of recycled outputs. Market forces still determine whether waste becomes opportunity. 

 

Navigating an Era of Regulatory Uncertainty 

In the U.S., regulatory unpredictability is defining boardroom conversations. Between shifting tariffs, evolving EPR laws, and changing federal state dynamics, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to plan long term. Sustainability initiatives are sometimes deprioritized as businesses navigate immediate economic pressures. 

However, regulatory risk is prompting a renewed interest in simpler, more standardized packaging constructions that minimize future exposure. Printers and suppliers are working together to adapt, and TLMI supports them by providing regulatory education, reporting guidance, and connection to organizations like the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). 

 

Closing the Gap Between Policy and Practicality 

One of the biggest challenges ahead lies in bridging the divide between regulatory ambition and operational feasibility. Associations have a responsibility to ensure implementation remains realistic without sacrificing sustainability outcomes. Our role includes offering clear insights, hosting expert led webinars, developing practical guides, and communicating industry data to policymakers to help inform balanced decision making. 

 

Regulation as a Catalyst for Smarter Design 

Importantly, regulation isn’t only creating complexity. It is also driving innovation. New materials, enhanced digital traceability, and design for recycling breakthroughs are emerging every month. Some TLMI members are already differentiating themselves as sustainability leaders by offering cutting edge packaging and label constructions designed for improved collection, sorting, and recycling. 

 

A Vision for the Next Decade 

Looking ahead, true success would mean regulation, innovation, and sustainability no longer feel like competing forces. Instead, they would reinforce one another, enabling smarter design, more efficient operations, and circular systems that scale. 

For TLMI, our mission remains clear: empowering our members through education, collaboration, and advocacy. And as global regulations continue to diverge, associations worldwide must work together to help the industry design a unified, global specification. 

The opportunity ahead is immense. With shared commitment and aligned leadership, the next decade can become the most transformative, and most sustainable chapter our industry has ever seen. 

Click here see all of AWA’s events and resources.

Leadership at a Crossroads: Reflections from the AWAVirtual™ Insights Forum 2026

Jessica Avery on February 12, 2026

At the 2026 AWAVirtual™ Insights Forum, I had the opportunity to join fellow industry leaders in a discussion about the future of labeling and packaging, an industry experiencing profound regulatory, technological, and cultural transformation. As CEO & President of TLMI, I was honored to share perspectives on where change is happening fastest and how associations like ours can help guide the industry toward a more sustainable, innovative, and resilient future. 

 

A Convergence of Forces Reshaping the Industry 

From my vantage point, the most consequential shift occurring in the labeling and packaging ecosystem today is the accelerating demand for design for recyclability, driven largely by tightening regulations and increasingly sustainability minded consumers. In the United States, the emergence of state level Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs is ushering in new accountability across the value chain. These changes are reshaping how companies think about everything from material selection to long-term capital investment.  

Culturally, younger generations now expect sustainability to be embedded in every decision, from product development to packaging disposal. What once felt optional has become an operating requirement. 

 

Infrastructure: The Unmoved Bottleneck 

When asked what entrenched practice I would redesign to advance circularity, the answer was difficult only because the issue has remained unchanged for decades: the U.S. recycling system. In many regions, recycling is poorly understood, inconvenient, inconsistent, and in some cases nonexistent. Even where systems do exist, they are not designed to handle the diversity of packaging materials in the market today. 

Circularity at scale will remain out of reach until packaging is designed with its next life in mind, and until our infrastructure can support that journey. Regulation may be the only mechanism strong enough to push toward the uniformity and capability required. 

 

Collaboration as the Engine for Progress 

Despite infrastructure challenges, encouraging progress is happening throughout the supply chain. TLMI member converters are collaborating closely with material suppliers to develop packaging that meets performance expectations while becoming increasingly recyclable or reusable. Innovation is active and accelerating, though the amount of packaging yet to be reimagined remains significant. 

Associations play a unique and essential role here. TLMI convenes printers, suppliers, sustainability leaders, and experts through our committees, working groups, and educational programs. With guidance from our in-house expert Rosalyn Bandy, we help create alignment, foster open dialogue, and amplify a unified voice that is stronger than what any single company could project on its own. 

 

Where Innovation Is Taking Hold and Where It’s Held Back 

Across the industry, we’re seeing innovation in waste reduction, process efficiency, and recycling friendly materials. TLMI’s Liner Recycling Initiative (LRI), developed with Resource Recycling Systems, is a prime example: by connecting generators of liner with mills, haulers, and recyclers, we help valuable material find its way into second life markets rather than landfills. 

Yet innovation remains constrained by economics, specifically, the cost of redesigned materials and the uncertain value of recycled outputs. Market forces still determine whether waste becomes opportunity. 

 

Navigating an Era of Regulatory Uncertainty 

In the U.S., regulatory unpredictability is defining boardroom conversations. Between shifting tariffs, evolving EPR laws, and changing federal state dynamics, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to plan long term. Sustainability initiatives are sometimes deprioritized as businesses navigate immediate economic pressures. 

However, regulatory risk is prompting a renewed interest in simpler, more standardized packaging constructions that minimize future exposure. Printers and suppliers are working together to adapt, and TLMI supports them by providing regulatory education, reporting guidance, and connection to organizations like the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). 

 

Closing the Gap Between Policy and Practicality 

One of the biggest challenges ahead lies in bridging the divide between regulatory ambition and operational feasibility. Associations have a responsibility to ensure implementation remains realistic without sacrificing sustainability outcomes. Our role includes offering clear insights, hosting expert led webinars, developing practical guides, and communicating industry data to policymakers to help inform balanced decision making. 

 

Regulation as a Catalyst for Smarter Design 

Importantly, regulation isn’t only creating complexity. It is also driving innovation. New materials, enhanced digital traceability, and design for recycling breakthroughs are emerging every month. Some TLMI members are already differentiating themselves as sustainability leaders by offering cutting edge packaging and label constructions designed for improved collection, sorting, and recycling. 

 

A Vision for the Next Decade 

Looking ahead, true success would mean regulation, innovation, and sustainability no longer feel like competing forces. Instead, they would reinforce one another, enabling smarter design, more efficient operations, and circular systems that scale. 

For TLMI, our mission remains clear: empowering our members through education, collaboration, and advocacy. And as global regulations continue to diverge, associations worldwide must work together to help the industry design a unified, global specification. 

The opportunity ahead is immense. With shared commitment and aligned leadership, the next decade can become the most transformative, and most sustainable chapter our industry has ever seen. 

2025 Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Award Highlight: Resource Label Group

Jessica Avery on February 6, 2026

The Calvin Frost Sustainability Awards recognize companies making meaningful strides toward a more sustainable future. These awards are presented in three categories, each reflecting a different point on the sustainability journey.

The Elevation Award is reserved for companies that are leading the industry—those with fully formed strategies, measurable results, and innovations that set the bar for environmental and social impact.

 

This year’s converter winner, Resource Label Group, is a company that prioritizes employee wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion while weaving sustainability into every aspect of its operations. Through its RLGreen programs, it engages employees, offers eco-friendly APR-approved products, and helps customers reduce their carbon footprints. Its liner recycling programs and commitments to EcoVadis, CDP, and SBTi demonstrate both accountability and leadership. With over 40 educational sessions held for customers and partners, they’re not just advancing their own sustainability goals—they’re lifting the industry.

2025 Calvin Frost Sustainability Awards Highlight: Amherst Label

Jessica Avery on January 22, 2026

The Calvin Frost Sustainability Awards recognize companies making meaningful strides toward a more sustainable future. These awards are presented in three categories, each reflecting a different point on the sustainability journey.

The Journey Award celebrates companies that have moved beyond planning and are actively implementing actions to achieve long-term sustainability goals. Judges look for measurable progress and meaningful impact.

 

This year’s Journey Converter winner, Amherst Label, has excelled in reducing waste to landfill, increasing recycling, and decreasing water use. Through an innovative partnership, they doubled the collection of PET liner to be recycled last year to nearly 22,000 pounds, and they’ve added over 300 solar panels to generate renewable energy. Their weekly sustainability-focused lunch and learns— “Summer Salad Days” and “Soup Days” in winter—have become part of their company culture. As the judges said, “they know where the rubber meets the road.”

 

TLMI is excited to launch SUSTAINABLE IMPACT PROJECTS (SIPs)

Jessica Avery on January 16, 2026

TLMI is excited to launch SUSTAINABLE IMPACT PROJECTS (SIPs)– a new, action-oriented way to tackle the sustainability challenges that matter most to our industry. These projects are built for speed, focus, and results:
  • Rapid project cycles lasting 90 days or less
  • Clearly defined outcomes tied to priority sustainability needs
  • Rotating leadership and participants, creating more opportunities to contribute, lead, and learn without a long-term commitment
A practical “let’s-build-something” approach that turns ideas into tools and resources – fast
  • Think of Sustainable Impact Projects (SIPs) as TLMI’s sustainability action lab: short sprints and real deliverables. Our first two projects are underway. We’re kicking things off with two chartered projects already in motion:

1. Ecovadis Webinar Development

Lead: Tim Bohlke (RLG)
  • This project will create a practical, industry-focused webinar to help TLMI members better understand and navigate Ecovadis requirements and expectations

2. Carbon Calculator for Recycling Release Liner

Project Lead: Max Spread (Domino)

  • This project will develop a carbon calculator to quantify the environmental benefits of recycling release liner – providing data-driven insights the industry can actually use.

Why this matters?

Sustainable Impact Projects are designed to:

  • Deliver high-impact sustainability tools quickly
  • Broaden engagement by making it easier to jump in for a defined period
  • Build leadership capacity across the membership
Move sustainability from discussion to measurable action
  • More projects and opportunities to participate are coming soon. If you’ve ever thought, “I want to help, but I don’t have two years,” this is your moment.
Have an idea for a project that your company would benefit from? Contact Rosalyn.bandy@tlmi.com

2025 Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards Highlight: NCCO

Jessica Avery on January 7, 2026

The Calvin Frost Sustainability Awards recognize companies making meaningful strides toward a more sustainable future. These awards are presented in three categories, each reflecting a different point on the sustainability journey.

 

The Trailhead Award is for companies at the very beginning of their sustainability efforts. They may just be laying out their strategy, setting goals, and taking those first—often most difficult—steps.

 

This year’s Trailhead Converter winner, NCCO, has made a clear commitment to change the company culture around sustainability. From reducing waste and engaging employees to even installing signage around their plant to raise awareness, they’re setting the tone for what’s ahead.

 

Pictured (Left to Right): Calvin Frost, Darryl Parham, and Philip Coates

 

State Paid Leave and Time Off Laws with Upcoming Changes

Jessica Avery on November 20, 2025

By Paige McAllister, The Workplace Advisors, Vice President of Compliance

 

Paid time off is a common benefit offered by many companies to their employees as part of their total compensation package. While federal law does not require any such paid time off, many states have regulations that require employers to offer employees paid time off and/or paid leaves of absence in some form.

 

We know it can be challenging to track what is required, so we have compiled state sick and family/medical leave below. We are also including highlights of recent or upcoming changes within those categories to help you make necessary adjustments.

 

Sick time: While federal law does not mandate sick time, some states do require employers to provide certain employees paid sick time to use for covered reasons, such as for their own or a family member’s diagnosis or treatment of a health condition or preventative care. Those states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington. D.C. In addition, Illinois, Maine, and Nevada offer similar time-off policies that employees can use for any purpose.

 

Recent or Upcoming Changes

 

Alaska: New Paid Sick Time (Effective July 1, 2025) All employers must provide all employees (including full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal) with paid sick time, accrued at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Sick time can be capped based on the company’s total number of employees. The cap for employers with 14 or fewer employees is 40 hours, and for those with 15 or more employees, the cap is 56 hours. Any unused sick time must carry over into the next benefit year with no cap or loss of benefit.  Employees can use this sick time for covered reasons and cannot be required to provide documentation for absences shorter than three days.

 

Maine: Increases to Paid Time Amounts (Effective September 24, 2025) Currently, employees can accrue up to 40 hours of paid time off in a benefit year and can carry over up to 40 hours of unused paid time off into the following benefit year; however, employers can cap an employee’s total balance to only 40 hours. Under the new changes, employees will be able to accrue up to 40 hours on top of carrying over up to 40 hours, which means they could have a balance of up to 80 hours after two years of accrual with no use.

 

Missouri: Sick Leave Law Rescinded (Effective August 28, 2025) The new law, which went into effect May 1, 2025, was rescinded as of August 28, 2025. Any sick time accrued during this period must be provided, but no additional time must be accrued or provided.

 

Nebraska: New Sick Leave Law (Effective October 1, 2025) Under the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplace Act (HFWA) employers with 11 to 19 employees must provide up to 40 hours of sick time to all employees who work at least 80 hours for their company, and employers with 20 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick time each year. (Employers with 10 or fewer employees are currently exempt from providing sick time.) Accrual starts after the employee completes 80 hours of employment. Employees must be allowed to carry over all unused sick time into the next benefit year.

 

Oregon: Sick Leave Expanded to Blood Donation (Effective January 1, 2026). Employees can use paid leave for time off to donate blood.

 

Washington: Sick Leave Reasons for Use Expanded

(Effective July 27, 2025) Employees can use mandated sick leave to prepare for or participate in any judicial or administrative immigration proceeding for the employee or their family member.

(Effective January 1, 2026) Employees can use available paid sick time for time taken due to them or a family member being a victim of a hate crime.

 

Medical or family leave: Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), federal law requires all employers with 50 or more employees to offer job- and benefit-protected leave to eligible employees for covered reasons. This time is not paid.

 

In addition to FMLA, several states mandate additional paid and/or unpaid leave for employees taking covered reasons. These states include Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

 

Recent or Upcoming Changes to Established Paid Leave Laws

 

Colorado: FAMLI Revisions (Effective January 1, 2026) Employees will be allowed to take an additional 12 weeks in addition to the 12 weeks of bonding time (so 24 weeks total of FAMLI) if their newborn child is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

 

Washington: Updates to PFML (Effective January 1, 2026) Several changes, including:

  • Job restoration protections for all employees in PFML who have worked 180 days are being phased in as follows:
    • Current: Employers with 50 or more employees;
    • January 1, 2026: Employers with 25 or more employees;
    • January 1, 2027: Employers with 15 or more employees; and
    • January 1, 2028: Employers with 8 or more employees.
  • Employers can count time taken under FMLA toward the PFML job restoration protections if they notify the employee of this intention within five days of receiving a request, even if the employee is not receiving PFML benefits.
  • Health benefits must be continued for the entirety of PFML regardless of any FMLA protection.
  • Employees can take PFML in increments of at least four consecutive hours.

New or Upcoming Paid Leave Laws

 

Delaware: New Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) Payroll deductions started January 1, 2025; claim submissions begin May 1, 2026.

Employees who work at least 60% of their time in Delaware and have worked for their employer for 12 months or longer and have at least 1250 hours of employment in the past 12 months are eligible for up to 12 weeks a year of paid leave. Employees can use a combination of up to 12 weeks in a lump-sum or intermittently to care for a new child (the full 12 weeks) and up to six weeks for their own serious medical condition or injury, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to take time when a family member is overseas on a military deployment. Employees must file through the state’s LaborFirst Claimant Portal for paid benefits, but must also provide their employer with advanced notice when possible.

 

Maine: New Paid Family and Medical Leave Payroll deductions started January 1, 2025; claim submissions begin January 1, 2026.

Employees who work in or whose operations are based in Maine are eligible to up to 12 weeks a year of paid leave for family leave, medical leave, safe leave, or military family leave. Leave can be taken in a lump sum or intermittently with job protection if they were employed for more than 120 days prior to going on leave. Employees must file through the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority and provide their employer with advanced notice when possible.

 

Delayed Paid Leave Law

 

Maryland: Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program Payroll deductions delayed until January 1, 2027; benefits delayed until January 3, 2028.

 

When implemented, FAMLI will provide eligible employees with job protection and pay replacement of up to $1,000 per week for up to 12 weeks for covered leave.

 

The Workplace Advisors can help you stay informed of the leave laws that apply to your employees in all 50 states, as well as other protected paid and unpaid time off, such as jury duty, school activities, victim of crime, and/or lactation breaks.