Free Virtual Paid Family and Medical Leave Workshop

Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)

As of 2021, Massachusetts has fully implemented its Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, providing workers wage replacement benefits when they have to remain out of work because of their own serious health condition, to care for a family member, or to bond with a newborn or newly-adopted child. By enabling workers to afford to take time away from work under these circumstances, these critical benefits improve health outcomes for workers and the public as a whole, while also improving early childhood development outcomes for children.

This workshop will provide an overview of the benefits and protections available to workers under the PFML law, tips regarding the application and appeals process, and a discussion of unresolved barriers to accessing these benefits to look out for as you seek to access these benefits for yourself, your family, or other members of your union.

STEPHANIE HERRON RICE is an attorney and Racial Justice Fellow at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) in the Workers’ Rights Unit. Her practice focuses on Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) and unemployment insurance (UI) individual representation and systemic advocacy. Stephanie serves on the UI Bond Bill Advisory Council, providing input to the Employment Modernization and Transformation Project overhauling the UI online system. Prior to joining GBLS, Stephanie worked in the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and South Coastal Counties’ Justice Center in Brockton as a housing and benefits attorney. She received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.