Colorado
Be in the Know: New Rules on Leave
Starting January 2024, Colorado will require 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
Any employer with one or more employees during each of 20 or more calendar workweeks in the current or immediately preceding calendar year; or paid wages of $1,500 or more during any calendar quarter in the preceding calendar year.
Excludes federal government. Local government can opt out. Self- employed and local government employees can opt in to the program.
Coverage options
State plan or state-approved private plan.
Cost
Beginning 1/1/23, 0.9% of employee wages up to the annual Social Security maximum wage. Employer and employee split premium 50/50. Employers with less than 10 employees don’t pay employer portion.
Employee eligibility
Employees who have earned at least $2,500 in wages during the base year or during the alternate base year (last 4 completed calendar quarters preceding the benefit year).
Leave reasons
Family, bonding, medical, military exigency, and safe leave for victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.
Job protection
Requires continuation of health insurance benefits, and reinstatement to previous or equivalent position (if employed at least 180 days before taking leave).
Other protections and provisions
Employee can choose to supplement with earned paid time off.
Intermittent must be permitted in no greater than 1-hour increments, payable once 8 hours accumulated.
Benefits
Employees receive up to 90% of their average weekly wage on a sliding scale. The maximum weekly benefit is 90% of the state average weekly wage. Will be $1,100 in 2024 regardless of the state average weekly wage.
Maximum of 12 weeks (16 weeks if the employee is disabled due to pregnancy). No waiting period.
Timeline and key dates
- January 1, 2023 contributions for the program begins.
- January 1, 2024 benefits will become available to employees.
How Unum can help
Unum is committed to working toward solutions to assist our clients with employees in Colorado. We will provide updates on our offering as more information about the program becomes available.
Have questions?
Reach out to our sales team to learn more about Unum’s state PFML and absence management solutions.