Sun Life U.S. has expanded its Family Leave Insurance (FLI) to Michigan and West Virginia, broadening access to paid leave benefits for employees in those states. The insurance product is designed to provide income replacement for family or bonding leave, complementing existing short-term disability coverage that supports medical leaves.
According to Sun Life, FLI allows employers to offer paid family leave benefits even in states without government-mandated programs. The product is available as fully insured coverage, which aims to support small and mid-size businesses by reducing the risks associated with self-funding such benefits.
"We believe no one should have to choose between their job and caring for a loved one. While the Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid leave up to 12 weeks, many employees have the difficult decision of whether they can afford to take time off to tend to their families," said Sheila Sokolski, vice president, Product Strategy and Portfolio Management, Group Benefits, Sun Life U.S. "With FLI, employers can choose to offer paid family leave benefits to all employees equally, and they get an insurance product built using Sun Life's decades of disability leave and absence management expertise."
Sun Life reports that FLI can help attract workers to states where insurers are allowed to offer this benefit and enable employers with operations in multiple states or remote staff to compete more effectively when recruiting. Currently, Sun Life offers FLI in 14 other states including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. Quoting for Massachusetts will begin next month.
Employees covered under FLI will have access to online claims submission tools while employers will be able to track leave details through digital platforms.
The company noted that Sun Life U.S. serves about 50 million Americans through a range of products offered via employers and partners nationwide. As of March 31, 2025 Sun Life managed C$1.55 trillion in assets globally. More information about the expanded offering can be found at www.sunlife.com/family.
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