PFML status
Active PFML program
Delaware Paid Leave
2026Active PFML programDelaware Paid Leave
$900/week · 12 family weeks · 0.4% employee premium· No statewide sick-leave mandate.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Delaware paid leave snapshot
New 2026 Delaware Paid Leave program with shared premiums and a $900 weekly cap. Weekly-max rank #14 (#1 = highest among all jurisdictions); family-weeks rank #12.
Max weekly
$900
Min $100
Family weeks
12
Benefit year
Employee premium
0.4%
Shared employee / employer
Paid sick leave
No statewide sick-leave
No statewide private-employer paid sick leave mandate (local rules may d…
Compare Delaware with another state
Compare any two states
PFML weekly max, weeks, premiums, and paid sick leave mandates.
Delaware PFML program details
- Program
- Delaware Paid Leave
- Wage replacement
- 8%
- Medical weeks
- 6
- Combined weeks max
- 12
- Premium payer
- Shared employee / employer
- Benefits timing
- Leaves commence 1/1/2026; employer size tiers affect covered leave types.
- Wage base / premium note
- Split premiums across parental, family, and medical components (see DE DOL).
Employers with fewer than 10 employees are generally exempt; 10–24 may have parental-only coverage.
Example employee PFML premium
On $80,000 annual wages, a 0.4% employee rate models about $320 per year before wage-base caps and employer-size exemptions. Split premiums across parental, family, and medical components (see DE DOL).
Key takeaways — Delaware paid leave
- Delaware PFML status: Active PFML program (Delaware Paid Leave).
- Modeled weekly maximum $900 with about 12 family/bonding weeks and up to 6 medical weeks.
- Employee premium ~0.4% (~$320/year on $80,000 before wage-base caps).
- No statewide sick-leave mandate. No statewide private-employer paid sick leave mandate (local rules may differ).
- Ranks #14 on weekly max and #12 on family weeks among 51 jurisdictions (#1 = highest).
- Leaves commence 1/1/2026; employer size tiers affect covered leave types.
- 12 other active PFML programs list a higher weekly maximum than Delaware in this table.
Delaware vs neighboring states
PFML status, weekly maxima, family weeks, and sick-leave mandates for states that share a border with Delaware.
| State | PFML | Max weekly | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Active PFML program | $900 | This page |
 New Jersey | Active PFML program | $1,119 | vs DE |
 Maryland | Enacted — benefits pending | $1,000 | vs DE |
 Pennsylvania | No statewide PFML | — | vs DE |
Delaware PFML at the weekly maximum
Illustrative totals if every week paid the modeled maximum. Most claimants receive less; waiting periods and offsets can reduce cash paid.
4 weeks at weekly max
$3,600
$900 × 4 wks
8 weeks at weekly max
$7,200
$900 × 8 wks
12 weeks at weekly max
$10,800
$900 × 12 wks
How to read this page
Delaware paid leave overview (2026)
New 2026 Delaware Paid Leave program with shared premiums and a $900 weekly cap.
Workers meeting Delaware program rules can claim partial wage replacement up to about $900 per week for qualifying family leave (roughly 8% replacement before caps). Employers with fewer than 10 employees are generally exempt; 10–24 may have parental-only coverage.
Paid sick leave is tracked separately: No statewide private-employer paid sick leave mandate (local rules may differ).
Premiums and benefits in Delaware
Modeled payroll shares: employee 0.4%, employer 0.4%. Split premiums across parental, family, and medical components (see DE DOL).
At the weekly maximum for 12 weeks, a full family-leave claim could approach $10,800 before taxes and offsets—only if you qualify for the maximum for every week.
Job protection is not guaranteed by a cash benefit alone. Confirm whether FMLA, a state family-leave statute, or PFML restoration rules apply to your employer size and tenure.
Planning leave while working in Delaware
Map the reason for leave (bonding, family care, own serious health condition, safe leave) to the right program—PFML, disability, sick leave, or unpaid FMLA.
Ask payroll whether PFML premiums already appear on your pay stub and whether the employer uses a private plan.
If you live near a border, compare Delaware with New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania—PFML and sick-leave rules can change by work location.
Who this Delaware paid leave page helps
Useful if…
- •Employees in Delaware estimating bonding or caregiving wage replacement.
- •Managers budgeting backfill while someone is on PFML or sick leave.
- •Candidates weighing a Delaware offer against a neighboring state’s leave laws.
- •Workers checking whether a sick-leave mandate applies even without PFML.
Use official tools if…
- •You need an approved claim, private-plan exemption, or exact waiting period.
- •Your hours or employer size fall below statutory thresholds.
- •A city ordinance (not just statewide rules) governs your worksite.
- •You are self-employed and need opt-in PFML rules rather than employee coverage.
Delaware paid leave checklist
Quick steps before treating rankings as a claim or relocation decision.
- 1Confirm Delaware PFML status (Active PFML program) and benefit start timing.
- 2Estimate weekly pay using ~8% replacement capped at $900.
- 3Review sick/any-reason leave accrual: No statewide sick-leave mandate.
- 4Check pay stubs for PFML/SDI-style deductions and annual wage-base caps.
- 5Document FMLA eligibility separately if you need job protection.
- 6Compare Delaware with a peer state before relocating for leave benefits alone.
Related states for paid leave
ConnecticutActive PFML program · $1,016/wk · 12 wks
Compare Delaware vs Connecticut →New JerseyActive PFML program · $1,119/wk · 12 wks
Compare Delaware vs New Jersey →Active PFML program · $1,190/wk · 12 wks
Compare Delaware vs District of Columbia →
MaineActive PFML program · $1,199/wk · 12 wks
Compare Delaware vs Maine →Delaware paid leave FAQs
Active PFML program. Program: Delaware Paid Leave. Leaves commence 1/1/2026; employer size tiers affect covered leave types.
This guide models $900/week (minimum $100 where published) at roughly 8% wage replacement before caps.
About 12 family/bonding weeks in a benefit year, with up to 6 medical weeks where the program covers own serious health conditions.
About 0.4% of covered wages ($320/year on a $80,000 example before wage-base caps). Split premiums across parental, family, and medical components (see DE DOL).
No statewide sick-leave mandate. No statewide private-employer paid sick leave mandate (local rules may differ).
No. FMLA is unpaid. Delaware PFML benefits may replace a portion of wages during qualifying leave when you meet program rules.
Weekly-max rank #14 and family-weeks rank #12 in this 51-jurisdiction table (#1 = highest weeks/benefit). Employee-premium rank #3 (#1 = lower employee rate among programs).
Use the state labor/PFML agency for claims, premiums, and notices. This page is an educational comparison using 2026 chart values updated 2026-07-31.
At the modeled weekly maximum, 12 weeks would total about $10,800 before taxes and offsets. Most claimants earn less than the maximum.
Usually only for short absences tied to illness, appointments, or safe leave—not full bonding leave. No statewide private-employer paid sick leave mandate (local rules may differ). Use PFML (where active) or unpaid FMLA for multi-week bonding.
Nearby combined snapshots: New Jersey (Active PFML program, $1,119/wk); Maryland (Enacted — benefits pending, $1,000/wk); Pennsylvania (No statewide PFML). Open a compare page for side-by-side premiums and weeks.
Often yes under FMLA or state restoration rules if you remain eligible, but you may still owe your share of premiums. PFML cash benefits do not automatically equal benefit continuation—confirm with HR.
Not legal advice. Agency rules control claims, premiums, and job protection.