Delaware Paid Leave Program to Waive All Penalties and Interest for Employers During First Year

The Delaware Department of Labor’s Division of Paid Leave has announced that penalties and interest will be waived from all late quarterly submissions during the first year of the Paid Leave program. This decision was made to ensure that business owners and third-party administrators have flexibility in managing the new program. Chris Counihan, Director of Delaware Paid Leave, mentioned the positive momentum from businesses participating in Delaware Paid Leave so far. He adds that the Division of Paid Leave wants to accommodate the business owners and third-party administrators who are still becoming familiar with the program, and that they look forward to continuing to work with these groups to ensure the process runs smoothly during the official program launch in January 2026. The deadline for all late quarterly submissions will be on March 31st, 2026. If business owners and third-party administrators fail to submit reports and contributions by this date, they will begin accruing penalties and fines.

Additional Information from the Delaware Department of Labor–Division of Paid Leave:

Delaware employers enrolled in Delaware Paid Leave are expected to submit Hours & Wage reports and contributions on a quarterly basis with a six-day grace period. The typical schedule is as follows:

• Q1 ends on March 31, with a deadline of April 30
• Q2 ends on June 30, with a deadline of July 31
• Q3 ends on September 30, with a deadline of October 31
• Q4 ends on December 31, with a deadline of January 31

If you have questions about Delaware Paid Leave, email PFML@delaware.gov or call 302-761-8375. Visit de.gov/paidleave to explore the helpful resources available for employers, employees, and third-party administrators.

About Delaware Paid Leave

Created under the Healthy Delaware Families Act and signed into law in May 2022, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (Delaware Paid Leave) requires that eligible Delaware workers be allowed up to 12 weeks of paid leave to address their own serious health condition, care for a family member with a serious health condition, bond with and care for a new child, or address the impact of a family member’s military deployment. While Delaware Paid Leave doesn’t go into effect until January 2026, businesses must prepare now to be fully compliant and ready to provide this valuable benefit to their employees.