The Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave (CT PFML) Act allows covered Connecticut workers the opportunity to take paid time off for their own serious health condition as well as care for family members for qualifying events under the program. State contribution began on January 1, 2021, and benefits became available as of January 1, 2022.
To help ensure an optimal experience for employees, businesses can choose between the state-run plan, or a private plan for their CT PFML coverage. See below for more information to assist you in meeting your obligations as a Connecticut employer and requirements provide a private plan.
Connecticut’s program covers a variety of reasons for paid leave, including recovery time for an employee’s own medical condition, or caring for a family member. The program will also become one of the first in the nation to expand paid leave to organ and bone marrow donation.
The CT PFML program:
All private employers with one or more employees working in Connecticut are covered employers under CT PFML.
Employers exempt from participation include:
A covered employee is eligible for benefits if they have earned at least $2,325 in wage in the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters, and they are either currently employed by a covered employer and working in CT, or have been employed and working in CT within the last 12 weeks, or are a self-employed person or sole proprietor who is a CT resident who has enrolled in the program.
Eligible employees can take leave for the following reasons:
Covered family members include spouses, siblings, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents, or any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
Weekly Benefit Percentage will vary based on an employee’s average weekly wages (AWW). The weekly benefit will be calculated as:
Maximum Weekly Benefit will be 60 times the state minimum wage. For 2023, the maximum weekly benefit is $840 for claims starting on or before May 31, 2023 and $900 for claims starting June 1, 2023 or later.
Under the state administered program, the program is 100% employee funded through employee payroll deductions. While under a private plan, an employer may choose to pay some or all of the employee contributions, but an employee cannot be expected to more than the state allowable maximum contribution rate. Any remaining difference in premium due becomes the obligation of the employer
If an employer chooses to self-insure the coverage, the employer must also provide a surety bond approved by Connecticut.
The state of Connecticut requires the following:
Starting July 1, 2022, employers are required to provide written notice about the CT PFML program to their employees at the time of hire and to their current employees on an annual basis. The notice must indicate:
Guardian has a private plan option to assist covered employers in meeting their obligation to provide Connecticut PFML coverage.
Our product offering is fully-insured, state-approved and competitively priced. Plus, our digital capabilities can make administration easier – with online claims submission and access to bills, policies, and reports.
You can count on:
Effective employee leave management is key to ensuring your business remains compliant with state laws, helping you avoid costly fines.
Guardian has provided employers with statutory disability plans for more than a decade, taking a consultative approach to bring resources together for successful PFML plan implementation and management, no matter the level of complexity. Our management of PFML plans help ensure that any Human Resources team can meet the challenge of efficiently managing employee leaves while helping to ease administrative burden and enhancing compliance. Our plans are fully insured, state-approved, and backed by digital capabilities designed to help make administration easier.
Further, our Guardian absence management solutions can help reduce the administrative burden and enhance compliance with the integrated management of STD and LTD benefits, state and federal family medical leaves, and company leaves. Available to companies with 50 or more employees, employers can choose from a variety of plans and service options, including ADA support.
To learn more about Guardian leave management services, reach out to your Guardian group sales consultant or broker.
Our plans are fully insured, state-compliant, and backed by digital capabilities designed to help make administration easier.
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