Paid Family Medical Leave

Effective July 1, 2026, the University System of Maryland (USM) introduced a new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) benefit. Established under Board of Regents (BOR) policy in response to Maryland’s FAMLI Act, PFML provides eligible employees with fully paid, job-protected leave during significant family, medical, and military-related life events.

Key Program Highlights:

  • Paid & Job-Protected: Receive regular pay and retain job security while on approved leave.
  • No Accrual Depletion: You do not need to use up your accrued leave (sick, annual, or personal) prior to taking PFML.
  • Replaces Parental Leave: This policy supersedes and expands upon USM’s previous paid parental leave program.

Submit a Paid Family Medical Leave Request 

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Employees are encouraged to submit leave requests 30 days prior to their anticipated start date. When advance notice is not feasible, applications should be submitted as soon as the need for PFML and/or FMLA is identified.

Resources and Training

USM Paid Family Medical Leave Information (PDF)

USM Board of Regents Policy 7.51 (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

Faculty, staff, and contingent employees are eligible.

Students, including student help, graduate assistants, teaching assistants, research assistants, post-doctoral students, and volunteers, are not covered.​

Employees receiving workers’ compensation benefits are excluded while receiving workers’ comp benefits. ​

Application Year

The 12-month period used to measure an employee’s PFML entitlement. It begins on the Sunday of the calendar week for which PFML benefits are first utilized.

Certification

Documentation used to support the reason for PFML. Depending on the reason for leave, this may include medical certification, documentation of birth or placement, proof of relationship, military orders, or other required documentation.

Concurrent Leave

When PFML and FMLA both apply to the same absence, they generally run at the same time. This means the same absence may count against both the employee’s PFML entitlement and FMLA entitlement.

Continuous Leave

FMLA, PFML, or both taken in one block over a period of time (days, weeks, or months) for a single qualifying reason.

Designation Notice

A document used for FMLA and PFML (combined into one) that tells the employee whether leave is being designated as FMLA, PFML, or both, and how much leave will count against the employee’s entitlement.

Intermittent Leave

FMLA, PFML, or both taken in separate blocks of time for a single qualifying reason. Under the PFML policy, intermittent PFML may not be taken in increments of less than 4 hours.

Qualifying Reason

A reason that may allow an eligible employee to use FMLA, PFML, or both. Qualifying reasons include the employee’s own serious health condition, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, bonding with a child after birth or placement, and certain military-related caregiving or deployment needs.

Regular Rate of Pay

The employee’s base weekly salary or hourly rate of pay. PFML pay excludes premiums such as shift differential or on-call pay.

Yes. When an absence qualifies for both PFML and FMLA, the two types of leave generally run concurrently. This means the same absence may count against both the employee’s PFML entitlement and FMLA entitlement. Employees will receive a single Designation Notice containing both PFML and FMLA information for the same leave request.

Questions? Email us!  hrfmla@umbc.edu