Connecticut
Be in the Know: New Rules on Leave
Connecticut requires paid medical leave (PML) and paid family leave (PFL) income replacement benefits for eligible workers who need time off from work for qualifying reasons.
Coverage and cost
Learn more about your state rules and eligibility
Covered employers
All employers with at least one Connecticut employee must provide CT PFML coverage. There are a few exceptions:
- Nonpublic elementary or secondary schools
- The federal government
- The state government
- Municipalities, local/regional boards of education
Sole proprietors and the self-employed working in Connecticut can voluntarily enroll in the program.
State, municipal, and/or local/regional boards of education may be included depending on specific collective bargaining agreement rules.
Coverage options
State plan or state-approved private plan. Private plans must be approved by a majority of CT employees.
Cost
0.5% of employee wages up to the annual Social Security maximum wage. Funded by employees. Employer may elect to pay all or part of the employee contribution. For state-approved private plans, the employer must fund the additional cost if the private plan is greater than the state cost.
Employee eligibility
Earned at least $2,325 during the highest earning quarter within the base period (first four of the five most recently completed quarters) and is either presently employed by an employer or has been employed by an employer in the previous 12 weeks.
Leave Reasons
Caring for a family member, bonding, medical, qualifying exigency, military caregiver and safe leave.
Job protection
Connecticut PFML does not provide job protection. CT FMLA is a separate law that does provide job protection.
Other protections and provisions
No waiting period.
Benefits
- Employees receive up to 95% of their average weekly wage on a sliding scale. The maximum weekly benefit is 60 times the current state minimum wage ($900 on 6/1/2023, adjusts to $941.40 effective 1/1/2024).
- Maximum of 12 weeks in a 12-month period and an additional 2 weeks if incapacitated by pregnancy
- Safe leave maximum is 12 days
Timeline and key dates
- 2019 – The State of CT passed legislation allowing employees to receive paid leave for certain qualifying reasons
- January 1, 2021 employee deductions for CT PFML program began
- January 1, 2022 benefits became available to employees
Need more information?
Visit Connecticut’s website for additional details.
CT Paid Leave
How Unum can help
While Unum does not offer the CT PFML insurance plan, we can administer an employer’s self-funded CT PFML plan.
Still looking for more information?
Check out our latest in leave content, and explore the State PFML Guide and our Leave Toolkit.
Have questions?
Reach out to our sales team to learn more about Unum’s state PFML and absence management solutions.