Colorado-based software company to build Maine paid leave portal for $19.7 million

Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston) cheer supporters of paid family and medical leave who rallied at the Maine State House in May 2023. The bill was signed into law a month later. (Courtesy of Maine Paid Family Leave campaign)

The Maine Department of Labor is partnering with a Colorado-based software company to build an online contribution portal for the state’s paid family and medical leave program .

After receiving five proposals, the state selected FAST Enterprises, LLC to build the online portal that will allow employers to register their business with the benefit program, file quarterly wage reports, pay contributions and apply for a private plan substitution. Self-employed individuals and tribal governments will also be able to use the system to opt into paid leave coverage.

According to records from the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, the proposed cost of the project is $19.7 million. Of the five bids the state received from different vendors, the proposed costs ranged from $17.7 million to $21.1 million with FAST Enterprises right in the middle.

“The Department looks forward to this partnership to build a user-centric, intuitive, and effective one-stop service system for employers in Maine to interact with the Maine Paid Family Leave Program,” said Luke Monahan, director of Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, in a news release Wednesday.

This isn’t the first time FAST Enterprises has worked with the state nor built this sort of software. It previously worked with the Maine Revenue Services to create the Maine Tax Portal and developed the contribution collection system for the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave.

What is paid family and medical leave in Maine?

Paid family and medical leave allows eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child.

Per statute, workers need to earn at least six times the state average weekly wage in the 12 months before their benefits begin. As of July 1, Maine’s average weekly wage was $1,144.

Employers will be responsible for sending contributions to the state on employees’ behalf. Those payments will begin in January 2025 to allow time for the funds to accumulate to cover administrative costs and benefit payouts once they become available in May 2026.

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor drafted rules that refine the details and help map out implementation of the new benefit program. They clarify definitions, exemptions and other parameters about how and when the program applies.

Mainers have until July 8 to share their feedback on the draft rules with the Department of Labor through mail or an online form.

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