Section 3: Determination of weekly benefit amount
Section 3. (a) No family or medical leave benefits shall be payable during the first 7 calendar days of such leave; provided, however, that an employee may utilize accrued sick or vacation pay or other paid leave provided under an employer policy during the first 7 calendar days of such leave. Employees taking family or medical leave for which benefits are not payable under this subsection shall be entitled to the protections of subsections (e) and (f) of section 2 and section 9.
(b)(1) The weekly benefit amount for a covered individual on family or medical leave shall be determined as follows: (i) the portion of the covered individual's average weekly wage that is equal to or less than 50 per cent of the state average weekly wage shall be replaced at a rate of 80 per cent; and (ii) the portion of the covered individual's average weekly wage that is more than 50 per cent of the state average weekly wage shall be replaced at a rate of 50 per cent. For purposes of the calculation specified in this paragraph, a covered individual's average weekly wage shall include only those wages or payments subject to the contribution requirements of section 6.
(2) The maximum weekly benefit amount calculated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be not more than $850 per week; provided, however, that annually, not later than October 1 of each year thereafter, the department shall adjust the maximum weekly benefit amount to be 64 per cent of the state average weekly wage and the adjusted maximum weekly benefit amount shall take effect on January 1 of the year following such adjustment.
(3) For a covered individual who takes leave on an intermittent or reduced leave schedule, the weekly benefit amount shall be prorated as determined by the department.
(c) The weekly benefit amount shall be reduced by the amount of wages or wage replacement that a covered individual receives for that period under any of the following while on family or medical leave: (i) any government program or law, including but not limited to workers' compensation under chapter 152, other than for permanent partial disability incurred prior to the family or medical leave claim, or under other state or federal temporary or permanent disability benefits law, or (ii) a permanent disability policy or program of an employer.
[ Second paragraph of subsection (c) effective until October 17, 2023. For text effective October 17, 2023, see below.]
The weekly benefit amount shall not be reduced by the amount of wage replacement that an employee receives while on family or medical leave under any of the following conditions, unless the aggregate amount an employee would receive would exceed the employee's average weekly wage: (i) a temporary disability policy or program of an employer; or (ii) a paid family, or medical leave policy of an employer. If an employer makes payments to an employee during any period of family or medical leave that are equal to or more than the amount required under this section, the employer shall be reimbursed out of any benefits due or to become due from the trust fund for family or medical leave benefits for that employee covering the same period of time as the payments made by the employer.
[ Second paragraph of subsection (c) as amended by 2023, 55, Sec. 1 effective October 17, 2023 for claims filed on or after November 1, 2023. See 2023, 55 Sec. 2. For text effective until October 17, 2023, see above.]
The weekly benefit amount shall not be reduced by the amount of wage replacement that an employee receives while on family or medical leave under any of the following conditions, unless the aggregate amount an employee would receive would exceed the employee's average weekly wage: (i) a temporary disability policy or program of an employer; (ii) a paid family or medical leave policy of an employer; or (iii) any accrued sick or vacation pay or other paid leave provided under an employer policy, including, but not limited to, any leave provided under a collective bargaining agreement. If an employer makes payments to an employee during any period of family or medical leave that are equal to or more than the amount required under this section, the employer shall be reimbursed out of any benefits due or to become due from the trust fund for family or medical leave benefits for that employee covering the same period of time as the payments made by the employer.