How to apply for Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Here's how you know
- Official websites use .mass.gov
A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts.
- Secure websites use HTTPS certificate
A lock icon (
) or https:// means you've safely connected to the official website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
-
This page, How to apply for Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML), is offered by
-
show more
How to apply for Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
If you work in Massachusetts and need to take Paid Family and Medical Leave, here's how you can begin your application.
You must provide notice to your employer prior to beginning an application. If you have informed your employer and have all of your necessary documents, you should be able to complete your PFML application in 15 minutes.
Contacts
Department of Family and Medical Leave
Phone
Get answers to your questions in English, Español, and Português. Interpretation services for up to 240+ languages are also available.Call Department of Family and Medical Leave, Get answers to your questions in English, Español, and Português. Interpretation services for up to 240+ languages are also available. at (833) 344-7365
Department of Family and Medical Leave - Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fraud Reporting Hotline:Call Department of Family and Medical Leave, Fraud Reporting Hotline: at (857) 366-7201
Department of Family and Medical Leave - Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For questions about contributions and exemptions:Call Department of Family and Medical Leave, For questions about contributions and exemptions: at (617) 466-3950
Department of Revenue - Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Online
Report Employer PFML Notification Failure
The Details
What you need to know
You can take your leave 3 ways: continuous, intermittent, or reduced.
If you are applying for military-related paid family leave benefits, or if you are currently unemployed, please call the Department's Contact Center at [(833) 344-7365](tel:(833) 344-7365) to begin your application.
Have multiple employers? Read about how to take leave when you have more than 1 job.
Notify your employer
Begin by speaking with your employer about when you need to take leave. Try to provide at least 30 days notice before your official start date, if possible.
Collect information about your leave
While filling out your application, you will be asked for:
- The reason you are taking leave
- The date you notified your employer that you need to take leave
- The date when you are planning to take leave, or when your leave started
Gather documents and personal information
You'll need:
- Proof of ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID. You can provide an image of this document online or through the mail
- Your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
- Your employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Your bank account information
- Information from your health care provider about the serious medical condition you or your family member is experiencing
- A phone number that can receive text messages (SMS) or phone calls or an authenticator app for multi-factor authentication
Read more about the documents you may need and how to submit them here, or download a checklist of what you need to apply.
You may also want to learn more about common issues that could delay your application or payment (and how to avoid them).
Find your employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN, or sometimes just EIN)
Your EIN is a unique number assigned to your employer so that the Internal Revenue Service can identify it, and for tax purposes.
You can find your employer’s EIN on a W-2 form. It’ll be in Box B, right above your employer’s name and address. EINs are usually 9 digits with a dash after the first 2: XX-XXXXXXX. This number does not change, so you do not need the most recent W-2.
If you can’t find a W-2 or haven’t received one yet, try asking your employer. We recommend reaching out to payroll, accounting, or human resources departments first.
How to apply
Online+
Create a PFML account and begin your application.
By phone+
If you are applying for military-related paid family leave benefits, or if you are currently unemployed, please call the Department's Contact Center at [(833) 344-7365](tel:(833) 344-7365) to begin your application.
Downloads
Open PDF file, 1.01 MB, Get ready to apply for PFML(English, PDF 1.01 MB)
Contact
Department of Family and Medical Leave
Phone
Get answers to your questions in English, Español, and Português. Interpretation services for up to 240+ languages are also available.Call Department of Family and Medical Leave, Get answers to your questions in English, Español, and Português. Interpretation services for up to 240+ languages are also available. at (833) 344-7365
Department of Family and Medical Leave - Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fraud Reporting Hotline:Call Department of Family and Medical Leave, Fraud Reporting Hotline: at (857) 366-7201
Department of Family and Medical Leave - Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For questions about contributions and exemptions:Call Department of Family and Medical Leave, For questions about contributions and exemptions: at (617) 466-3950
Department of Revenue - Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Online
Report Employer PFML Notification Failure
Related
- Form to certify family member's serious health condition
- Form to certify your serious health condition
- Required documents for your Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) application
- Paid Family and Medical Leave overview and guide
- How to apply for military-related paid family leave
Help Us Improve Mass.gov with your feedback
Did you find what you were looking for on this webpage?
Yes
No
If you have any suggestions for the website, please let us know.
How can we improve the page? *
Please do not include personal or contact information.You will not get a response
The feedback will only be used for improving the website. If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Family and Medical Leave. Please limit your input to 500 characters.
500/500
500 characters remaining
Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. You will NOT get a response.
If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Family and Medical Leave.
500/500
500 characters remaining
Please let us know how we can improve this page.
Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. You will NOT get a response.
If you need assistance, please contact the Department of Family and Medical Leave.
Thank you for your website feedback! We will use this information to improve this page.
If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site.
Original text
Rate this translation
Your feedback will be used to help improve Google Translate