Preparing for Paid Family Leave - Part Two

Both Massachusetts and Connecticut are in the midst of rolling out Paid Family and Medical Leave programs. This is part one of what CT employers will need to know to prep for January 2021.

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The CT Paid Family and Medical Leave program officially rolls out on January 1, 2021, and applies to employers with one or more employees however there's some information that will be rolling out prior to the new year.

November 1, 2020

Beginning November 1, 2020, employers will be able to register for the CT Paid Family Leave authority. The CTPFL Authority has established an incredibly helpful website for employers the prep for January which can be found here.

Beginning January 1, 2021

Beginning in 2021, employers will begin to withhold the employee contributions of 0.50% of the social security wage base per paycheck which will be filed quarterly with the PFL trust. Employers will want to discuss with their payroll company about establishing the withholdings, appropriately coding them, and arrangement for payment of those contributions to the state.

Preparing for 2022

Employees can begin to take leave under the program in January 2022 and employers will want to begin educating themselves on the reasons why employees may take leave in the future.

Reasons an Employee May Take Leave:

• To address the worker’s own serious health concern;

• To care for a child after birth, adoption or foster placement;

• To provide care to a seriously ill or injured family member;

• To address qualifying exigencies arising from the foreign deployment of related service-member;

• To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor; or

• To address certain matters relating to family violence.

Employers that offer a paid leave program that offers benefits that are as rich or richer than the CTPFL program may apply for an exemption. More details to come on how employers can request an exemption.