Sun Life U.S. has announced the launch of Family Leave Insurance (FLI) in Massachusetts, expanding its family leave benefits to employers based in the state and allowing them to extend coverage to employees working outside Massachusetts. FLI provides income replacement for employees who take leave to care for a family member or bond with a new child, addressing needs similar to those covered by short-term disability insurance but focused on family-related absences.
The new offering complements the state's mandated paid family and medical leave (PFML) program by filling income replacement gaps for higher-wage earners. Employees in other states with PFML mandates, such as Connecticut and Maine—where a program is set to begin in 2026—would also benefit from this additional coverage.
"FLI is valuable across state lines, whether there are mandated leave programs or not, because it provides an important benefit to all employees equally," said Sheila Sokolski, vice president, Product Strategy and Portfolio Management, Group Benefits, Sun Life U.S. "As a fully insured offering, FLI is especially meaningful for small and mid-size employers who want to offer the benefit without the risk of self-funding, and they get an insurance product built using Sun Life's decades of disability leave and absence management expertise."
Sun Life has advocated for paid leave options at both state and federal levels. The company has supported private plan alternatives alongside mandated public programs in several states. Additionally, Sun Life played a role in supporting the federal paid leave tax credit for employers that was recently made permanent through legislative changes. The FLI product aligns with current tax credit rules and will adjust as future legislation takes effect.
Currently, Sun Life offers FLI in 14 other states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. The company plans to start quoting policies in Michigan and West Virginia next month.
Employers utilizing Sun Life’s FLI can access online claims submission tools while tracking employee leaves as part of their health and productivity management efforts. A recording of Sun Life's recent webinar on FLI is available online.
Starting August 1st, Sun Life will be quoting FLI policies in Massachusetts as well as Michigan and West Virginia. More information can be found at www.sunlife.com/family.
Sun Life operates internationally across multiple markets including Canada; the United States; Europe; Asia; Australia; Singapore; Vietnam; Malaysia; Bermuda; among others. As of March 31st 2025 it reported total assets under management of C$1.55 trillion.
The company trades on major stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF: Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE), Philippine (PSE). In the United States alone Sun Life serves about 50 million people through various insurance products including dental vision disability life supplemental health medical stop-loss insurance healthcare navigation absence management services asset management solutions among others employing over 8 300 people nationwide.
For more details about its offerings visit www.sunlife.com or its newsroom.
"FLI is valuable across state lines, whether there are mandated leave programs or not, because it provides an important benefit to all employees equally," said Sheila Sokolski vice president Product Strategy and Portfolio Management Group Benefits Sun Life U.S.. "As a fully insured offering FLI is especially meaningful for small and mid-size employers who want to offer the benefit without the risk of self-funding and they get an insurance product built using Sun Life's decades of disability leave and absence management expertise."
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