HARTFORD, Conn. — Applications are now being accepted for Connecticut's new paid family and medical leave program, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday.
The implementation of the new state law allows workers in the state to gain access to the necessary benefits that allow them to take time off work to care for their own health, a newborn child, or a sick family member.
Eligible workers can receive up to 12 weeks of income replacement for qualifying events. Connecticut is only the eighth state to enact a program of its kind, according to the governor's office.
For people interested in participating in the program, claims are being accepted for qualifying events that are happening on or after January 1, 2022.
Qualifying reasons to submit a claim include:
- Medical leave for one’s own serious health condition (which includes pregnancy, as well as serving as a bone marrow or organ donor)
- Caregiver leave to care for a family member experiencing a serious health condition
- Bonding leave to bond with a new child that has entered a person’s home through birth, adoption, or foster care
- Family violence leave to address issues arising from family violence
- Qualifying exigency leave to address issues arising from a parent, child, or spouse’s military deployment
- Military caregiver leave to care for a family member injured during active duty in the United States Armed Forces
Important to note: The amount of income replacement varies based on a worker’s earnings and is capped at 60 times the state minimum wage. The combination of employer-provided benefits and benefits received under the paid leave program cannot exceed 100% of a worker’s normal weekly earnings.
Lamont said this implementation is a milestone in Connecticut and the program is one of the strongest paid family and medical leave programs in the nation.
“Supporting the workers of our state will strengthen our economic footing and make Connecticut a stronger place to live, work, and do business," Lamont said. "With the launch of this program, workers who need to take time off for a new baby or to recover from an illness are not punished financially, and businesses do not risk losing good workers during those emergencies."
The governor added that the launch is long overdue, but he is proud the state is enacting a program that will benefit workers and businesses.
House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora also released a statement Wednesday in response to the program's launch.
“I appreciate that the governor and legislative Democrats want to advertise that people can now apply for the new paid family and medical leave program, but it’s premature to embark on a victory lap before the anticipated ‘onslaught’ of applications described recently by the chief executive officer or before a single claim is even paid out," Candelora said. "Instead, let’s see what those expected growing pains are and, more important, what the program’s impact will be on businesses that already face struggles in finding people to fill open jobs. For the sake of our state and economy, and at a time when money doesn’t go as far as we’d all like it to, I hope the next phase of this program that requires workers to pay into it will go as smoothly as Democrats think it will.”
The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority is now accepting applications. You can submit through their website, via email, fax, phone, or mail. The toll-free application hotline is 877-499-8606.
Applying online makes it easy for workers to check the status of a claim, review correspondence, view payments for a claim, and communicate with case managers, CT Paid Leave Authority CEO Andrea Barton Reeves said.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said Connecticut is leading the way with its paid leave program by creating a working environment where everyone can succeed.
"The pandemic has exposed the critical need for paid leave," she added. "Now with the implementation of benefits, a burden will be eased off of Connecticut workers who will no longer have to worry about lost income in the event that they need to care for themselves or their families."
For additional information about the program, click here.
Alana Seldon is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at aseldon@fox61.com.
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