DELAWARE– The First State's Department of Labor says applications are now open for the new Delaware Paid Leave program.
The DOL's Division of Paid Leave says the program is years in the making, created under the Healthy Delaware Families Act in 2022 to supplement the unpaid federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
The program includes the following types of paid leave:
- Medical Leave for employees with serious health conditions (up to six weeks every two years)
- Family Caregiver Leave for employees assisting loved ones (up to six weeks every two years)
- Parental Leave for employees welcoming new children (up to 12 weeks per year)
- Qualified Exigency Leave for employees impacted by a family member's military deployment (up to six weeks every two years)
Eligible employees could earn up to 80% of weekly wages, capped at $900 per week and limited to 12 weeks of combined paid leave per year, according to the DOL.
Most employers with 10 or more employees are required to participate, with seasonal operations and federal employers exempt, according to the DOL. Officials expect approximately 6,000 businesses and 400,000 workers to benefit from the program, representing approximately 70% of Delawareans.
Eligible workers include those who work primarily in Delaware, have been employed at their current workplace for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours at that job over the past 12 months.
To apply, login or create an account at my.delaware.gov, complete identity verification and navigate to LaborFirst Claimant registration.
For more information, visit de.gov/paidleave.