13 claims checked against the article's verified sources. 13 are ✓ Verified, 0 are ⚠ Partial, 0 are ✗ Issue, and 0 are 🕐 Outdated. Coverage spans the federal FMLA floor, the 13 jurisdictions paying state PFML benefits in 2026, Maryland and Virginia's upcoming programs, the state contribution model, the work-location rule, common employer setup mistakes, and the practical recommendation to organize records by where employees actually work. Source authority comes from the article's fact check: federal statutes and regulations, state PFML agency pages and statutes, Maryland and Virginia program sources, and DOL FMLA guidance.
4 claims
"There's no federal paid family leave"
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave. No federal statute requires paid family or medical leave. The article's opening sentence makes the same point: "The federal floor is still zero."
"Paid family leave usually follows where the employee works, not where your business is based"
13 US jurisdictions (12 states + DC) are paying PFML benefits in 2026 — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington. Washington and Oregon explicitly use a localization test; the quick read correctly frames the practical rule as checking where the employee actually works.
"Federal law does not require paid family leave for ordinary private employers"
FMLA's employer-coverage threshold is 50 employees within a 75-mile radius for 20+ workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year. The leave is unpaid, job-protected leave, not a federal paid-leave program.
"13 places — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington — require PAID family leave"
The article's Quick Reference section lists these 13 jurisdictions verbatim. Each has its own enabling statute and agency-administered benefit program; the article's State-by-State section anchors each one independently (CA EDD, CO FAMLI, CT Paid Leave, DE Paid Leave Division, DC OPFL, ME Paid Leave, MA DFML, MN DEED, NJ DOL, NY WCB, OR Paid Leave, RI DLT TDI/TCI, WA Paid Family & Medical Leave).
7 claims
"funded by state payroll contributions"
State PFML programs are structured as social-insurance payroll taxes — the article describes this as "state-administered social insurance, not employer-funded leave." Most states split the contribution between employer and employee, but California, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are employee-paid, while D.C. is employer-paid.
"The rule follows where your employee actually works, not where your business is"
Washington (RCW 50A) and Oregon (ORS 657B) both apply a localization test borrowed from unemployment insurance — coverage attaches to the employee's actual work location. The article's "5 Most Expensive PFML Mistakes" identifies this as the #1 failure mode: applying employer-headquarters rules to a remote employee.
"If an employee works in a PFML state, you may need to set up state contributions even if your business has no office there"
The article's mistake #1 uses this same practical framing. The exact obligation depends on the state program and the work-location/localization analysis, so the quick read uses "may need" rather than promising the same outcome in every state.
"For past gaps, review the contribution history before the next claim or audit"
Same parent claim as above. State agencies can compare benefit claims and contribution records. The quick read correctly turns that enforcement path into an employer action: check contribution history before a claim or audit exposes the gap.
"A remote employee works in Washington, but payroll is still set up only for the employer's home state"
Direct restatement of the quick read's mistake scenario. Washington's PFML program (RCW 50A) covers employees whose work is localized in Washington, regardless of employer headquarters.
"Taking deductions from employees for a 'private plan' that lapsed — you owe the state plus the employees"
Direct restatement of the article's mistake #3 — the private-plan opt-out trap. When approval lapses or gets disapproved retroactively, the employer owes contributions to the state plus owes the employees who paid into the disapproved plan. Most state PFML programs (Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon, etc.) allow private-plan substitution but require annual re-approval and financial-soundness reviews.
"PFML is treated like an optional company benefit instead of a state contribution program"
The quick read correctly distinguishes ordinary employer benefits from mandatory state PFML programs. Employers may be able to use an approved private plan in some states, but that is not the same as opting out of the state obligation entirely.
1 claim
"Maryland and Virginia are next; their programs start in 2027–2028"
The article's Quick Reference and "Enacted, not yet paying benefits" sections both name these dates: Maryland (contributions January 2027, benefits January 2028); Virginia (contributions April 2028, benefits December 2028). Virginia became the first Southern state to enact PFML in April 2026.
1 claim
"Firing an employee soon after they took paid family leave — state laws prohibit it, even at small employers"
Direct restatement of the article's mistake #5. Most state PFML statutes include their own anti-retaliation provisions with private rights of action and attorney fees, independent of federal FMLA's 50-employee threshold. The Massachusetts PFML statute (MGL c. 175M) is one such example; a 2025 Suffolk Superior Court ruling confirmed anti-retaliation protection applies whenever an employee uses PFML, regardless of FMLA eligibility.
1 claim
"List employees by where they actually work, then match that location to the state PFML rules"
Synthesis claim from the article's through-line. The work-state record is the practical starting point for contributions, FMLA notices, leave records, and payroll history.
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