the ct paid leave program
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Windham Region Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to making sure that small business owners in our region have as many resources as possible to successfully run their companies.
We have included information here for employers and employees.
QUALIFYING CIRCUMSTANCES
You may take advantage of your CTPL benefits if one of these Qualifying Circumstances exist:
Medical Leave
A medical leave is time taken away from your place of work so you can receive treatment for or recover from one's own serious health condition. This includes pregnancy and serving as an organ or bone marrow donor.
Qualifying Exigency Leave
A qualifying exigency leave is time taken away from your place of work because your spouse, child or parent was deployed while on covered active duty in the Armed Forces.
Bonding Leave
A bonding leave is time taken away from your place of work so you an bond with your new child that has become a part of your family through birth, adoption or foster care. This can be taken any time you need it within the 12 months following their birth, adoption or placement.
Military Caregiver Leave
A military caregiver leave is time taken away from your place of work by a spouse, parent, child or next of kin to care for a service member who incurred a serious injury or illness in the line of duty in the Armed Forces.
Caregiver Leave
A caregiver leave is time taken away fro your place of work so you can provide physical or psychological care or comfort to a family member experiencing a serious health condition.
Family Violence Leave
A Family Violence leave or Safe Leave is time taken away from your place of work because you are a victim of family violence or sexual assault so that you can address specific issues arising from those circumstances.
WHAT OTHER TYPES OF LEAVE PROGRAMS ARE THERE?
This can get confusing. These are all government mandated programs:
Federal FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)-Job protection
CT FMLA-Job protection
CT Paid Leave-Income replacement funded by employees, up to 12 weeks per year
Paid Sick Days-Income replacement funded by employer, 40 hours per year
To better explain the differences, we have flyers for you to download.
Please call us if you have any questions or need more details.
OFFICE HOURS
We have 2 dedicated days each week to work with anyone who needs assistance. We have internet and computers and a Community Educator available to answer questions.
Tuesdays, 9-3 English
Fridays, 9-3 Spanish
You must call to make an appointment, no walk-ins please.
EMPLOYERS
Please click on the button below to move to our employer section. Here you will find everything you need to remain compliant with the program.
SOLE PROPRIETORS & GIG PERFORMERS
If you are a sole proprietor or gig performer and would like to know how you can participate, please click on the button below to move to this special section. This would include independent contractors, artists, musicians, and companies with only an owner.
To make an appointment or schedule a training session please call or text us:
In English 860-208-8288 (Michelle) OR In Spanish 860-377-5744 (Ruth)
EMPLOYEES
WHO IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE?
Your employer must participate in the CT Paid Leave program if they have any activity, enterprise or business in Connecticut with one or more employees (including non- unionized state employees).
As an employee, you must participate in the CT Paid Leave program unless you are specifically excluded by law.
Sole proprietors or self-employed individuals who are CT residents may choose to opt-in but are not required to do so. GO HERE
WHO IS NOT A COVERED EMPLOYER?
The Federal government
The State of Connecticut (with some exceptions for “covered public employees")
Municipalities, unless their unionized employees collectively bargain to participate
Licensed employees of non-public elementary or secondary schools
Railroads, Governments of other states or sovereign nations (including federally recognized tribes)
IS CT PAID LEAVE THE SAME AS FMLA?
NO. CT Paid Leave only offers income replacement for qualifying leave reasons but does NOT offer job protected leave, which is provided under FMLA.
Go HERE for information about both CT and Federal Family & Medical Leave.
Workers must apply directly to their employer for job-protected leave pursuant to FMLA or other laws.
WHAT ARE QUALIFYING EVENTS FOR INCOME REPLACEMENT UNDER CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
These events or reasons for leave are described above. They are Medical Leave, Bonding Leave, Caregiver Leave, Qualifying Exigency Leave, Military Caregiver Leave and Safe Leave.
WHAT MAKES ME ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
1. Your wages. Look at the last five quarters you have worked. You must have earned at least $2,325 in at least one of them. You can combine your earnings from more than one employer.
2. Your employment status. You must be either currently employed and working in CT OR currently unemployed but had been employed and working in CT for the twelve months immediately preceding your leave.
WHAT ARE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS?
This program is funded through your contributions. Employees (you) contribute 1/2 of 1% (0.5%) of your wages from every paycheck. They are taken as a payroll deduction by your employer and sent to the CT Paid Leave for this program.
Total wages for an employee include the gross earnings from your employer which include your salary or hourly wages, vacation pay, holiday pay, tips, commissions, severance pay, etc.
CAN I RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE AND OTHER INCOME REPLACEMENT BENEFITS AT THE SAME TIME?
Covered employees may receive compensation from CT Paid Leave at the same time as receiving income replacement benefits from their employer. For example, you can collect short term disability payments and also collect CT Paid Leave benefits at the same time.
However, combined compensation (the total of both sources of income) cannot exceed 100% of a worker’s regular rate of compensation. You cannot earn more than 100% of your normal pay.
Also, workers may not receive CT Paid Leave compensation at the same time they are receiving Unemployment Compensation, Worker’s Compensation, or any other state or federal benefit that provides wage replacement.
If you have questions about how CT Paid Leave will integrate with employer-provided benefits like short-term disability, talk to your employer.
HOW LONG CAN I RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
You can receive income replacement up to 12 weeks within a 12-month period for most leave reasons.
An additional two weeks may be available for incapacitation during pregnancy. These two weeks can also be used for routine pre-natal appointments.
For Safe Leave, you have only 12 days of benefits.
DO I HAVE TO TAKE LEAVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME?
You can take leave in several different ways:
1. Block leave – absence taken as a consecutive span of time for a single qualifying reason.
2. Reduced schedule – a leave schedule that reduces an employee’s usual number of working hours per workweek, or hours per workday, for a period of time (normally from a full-time schedule to a part-time schedule.)
3. Intermittent leave – absenses in separate, non-consecutive time periods rather than a single span of time for a single qualifying reason.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR CT PAID LEAVE?
You will need to start your claim online at CTPaidLeave.org
Start your claim online at ctpaidleave.org. If you do not have internet, a computer or just hate computers, you can set up an appointment with one of our Community Educators and they will help you navigate the system and start your application.
OR
You can call CT Paid Leave's third-party claims administrator at (877) 499-8606.
You will need to have the following information ready when starting your claim:
1. Identity verification-license, passport, etc.
2. Employment verification-your employer has a "Employment Verification Form" that they will need to complete for you.
3. Any documents that support your leave. For example, if you need a Medical Leave then you should have doctor complete a Medical Certification From. For Safe Leave you will need a copy of your court order. For Qualifying Exigency Leave you will need military deployment papers or other military orders. For Bonding Leave you will need adoption papers, Fostering papers or newborn's birth certificate.
We strongly suggest you do your application online. All of the necessary forms and information are available for you there and the process is much easier. Call us and make an appointment if you need assistance, are having issues with your application or need more information about the program.
EMPLOYErS
WHAT BUSINESSES ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE?
Any business who has one or more employees working in CT must participate. Your business does not need to be located in CT.
Your company must register with the CT Paid Leave Authority online at ctpaidleave.org.
You are required to withhold 0.5% of each of your employee's wages via payroll deduction. These funds are called contributions.
You must remit all your employee's contributions to the CT Paid Leave Authority quarterly. They are due on the last day of the quarter. You can pay them online through your account. There is a one month grace period after the end of the quarter to remit contributions to avoid penalties and interest.
WHAT IS THE PRIVATE PLAN OPTION?
If you would like to offer a private Paid Family and Medical Leave plan in lieu of participating in the public plan, you may apply to the CT Paid Leave Authority for an exemption from the public plan. You are not exempt from participating in the public plan until you have received written approval from the CT Paid Leave Authority. To be approved your private plan must:
1. Be comparable to the public plan AND
2. A majority of your employees must agree to the plan by a vote.
IS CT PAID LEAVE THE SAME AS FMLA?
NO. CT Paid Leave only offers income replacement for qualifying leave reasons but does NOT offer job protected leave, which is provided under FMLA.
Go HERE for information about both CT and Federal Family & Medical Leave.
You should work with your employees to determine if they are eligible for job-protected leave pursuant to FMLA or other laws.
WHAT ARE QUALIFYING EVENTS FOR INCOME REPLACEMENT UNDER CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
These events or reasons for leave are described above. They are Medical Leave, Bonding Leave, Caregiver Leave, Qualifying Exigency Leave, Military Caregiver Leave and Safe Leave.
WHAT ARE WORKER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS?
1. Their wages. In the last five quarters they have worked, they must have earned at least $2,325 in at least one of them. An employee can combine earnings from more than one employer.
2. Their employment status. They must be either currently employed and working in CT OR currently unemployed but had been employed and working in CT for the twelve months immediately preceding their leave.
WHAT ARE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS?
This program is funded through employee contributions. Employees contribute 1/2 of 1% (0.5%) of their wages from every paycheck as a payroll deduction and sent to the CT Paid Leave.
Contributions are made from wages up to the defined Social Security wage base (using the same calculations for determining total wages as are used to calculate FICA).
Total wages for an employee include their gross earnings which include salary or hourly wages, vacation pay, holiday pay, tips, commissions, severance pay, etc.
CAN AN EMPLOYEE RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE AND OTHER INCOME REPLACEMENT BENEFITS AT THE SAME TIME?
Covered employees may receive compensation from CT Paid Leave at the same time as receiving income replacement benefits from their employer. For example, they can collect short term disability payments and also collect CT Paid Leave benefits at the same time.
However, combined compensation (the total of both sources of income) cannot exceed 100% of a worker’s regular rate of compensation. They cannot earn more than 100% of their normal pay.
Also, workers may not receive CT Paid Leave compensation at the same time they are receiving Unemployment Compensation, Worker’s Compensation, or any other state or federal benefit that provides wage replacement.
To understand how CT Paid Leave will interact with your Short Term Disability policy you will need to speak to your policy provider and review your contract with them.
HOW LONG CAN AN EMPLOYEE RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
They can receive income replacement up to 12 weeks within a 12-month period for most leave reasons.
An additional two weeks may be available for incapacitation during pregnancy. These two weeks can also be used for routine pre-natal appointments.
For Safe Leave, they have only 12 days of benefits.
IN WHAT DIFFERENT WAYS CAN LEAVE BE TAKEN?
Leave can be taken in several different ways:
1. Block leave – absence taken as a consecutive span of time for a single qualifying reason.
2. Reduced schedule – a leave schedule that reduces an employee’s usual number of working hours per workweek, or hours per workday, for a period of time (normally from a full-time schedule to a part-time schedule.)
3. Intermittent leave – absences in separate, non-consecutive time periods rather than a single span of time for a single qualifying reason.
HOW DOES MY EMPLOYEE APPLY FOR CT PAID LEAVE?
They will need to start their claim online at CTPaidLeave.org or by calling 877-499-8606.
If they need assistance with the process, please refer them to the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce. We have office hours in English every Tuesday from 9-3 and in Spanish every Friday from 9-3. They must make an appointment, there are no walk-ins.
When your employee applies they will provide you with an Employment Verification Form that you will need to complete indicating what their normal work schedule is and any other compensation they will receive when they are on leave. We have a copy of the form for you to download above. If you know your employee will be applying it would be very helpful to have this form completed as soon as possible. They will need to submit the form.
OTHER RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS:
We have provided you with downloadable forms at the beginning of this section. There is general information for you, the employer, as well as general information for your employees, both in English and Spanish. The employee information is provided as a download in the Employee section.
There is also a poster that the Department of Labor requires that you have posted in the workplace that explains employees rights under this program. You are also required to in-service your employees about the program annually. We are happy to provide this service to you. We can do a short presentation or we can be available in your staff lounge during breaks with flyers and treats. At the very least you will have the downloadable information flyers to hand out to them. Please consider us a valuable partner for this program.
SOLE PROPRIETORS
ARE SOLE PROPRIETORS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE?
Sole proprietors or self-employed individuals are not required by law to participate in CT Paid Leave.
You may choose to opt-in to the program so long as you are a resident of CT.
You are considered a sole-proprietor or self-employed individual if you earn self-employment income as defined by the the IRS at 26 USC 1402(b).
If you receive a W2 from your organization, you are considered to be an employee not a sole proprietor, even if you are an owner or officer of the organization.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR SOLE-PROPRIETORS?
If you opt-in as a sole proprietor you must remain in the program for a minimum of three years. After the initial three years you will be automatically re-enrolled for at least one year at a time, unless you withdraw from the program.
To opt-in you will need to register with the CT Paid Leave Authority and make quarterly contributions based on your self-employment earnings. Regardless of the specific date on which you register, contributions will be owed for the full quarter in which you registered.
Registered sole proprietors must contribute 0.5% of their self-employment earnings up to the Social Security Contribution and benefit base.
WHAT ARE QUALIFYING EVENTS FOR INCOME REPLACEMENT UNDER CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
These events or reasons for leave are described above. They are Medical Leave, Bonding Leave, Caregiver Leave, Qualifying Exigency Leave, Military Caregiver Leave and Safe Leave.
WHAT MAKES ME ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
1. Your wages. Look at the last five quarters you have worked. You must have earned at least $2,325 in at least one of them. You can combine your earnings from more than one employer.
2. You must be registered as a sole proprietor and making contributions of self-employment earnings.
3. You must be a resident of CT experiencing one of the qualifying reasons for leave.
CAN I SUBMIT A PARTIAL CLAIM FOR BENEFITS?
Yes. If you are planning to perform some work, you will need to provide information about what percentage of your average work week you will work. For example, if you plan to work 1/3 of your average work week, we will consider you to be on leave for 2/3 of the week and your benefit payment will be 2/3 of the total weekly benefit.
METHODS OF REPORTING: CASH V. ACCRUAL BASIS
You can report your income on a cash basis, when you actually receive payment, or on an accrual basis, when you performed the work.
HOW DO I REPORT MY SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME?
There are two ways that sole proprietors can report their earnings and make contributions.
1. Report your quarterly income and remit the 0.5% using the same calculations you use to make your estimated quarterly payments toward your self-employment taxes and reconcile the contributions when you finalize your self-employment taxes at year end.
2. Report your quarterly income as $0 and remit no contributions until you calculate your self-employment taxes at year end, at which time you will report your self employment income for the year to CT Paid Leave and remit the 0.5% contributions for the year.
HOW LONG CAN I RECEIVE CT PAID LEAVE BENEFITS?
You can receive income replacement up to 12 weeks within a 12-month period for most leave reasons.
An additional two weeks may be available for incapacitation during pregnancy. These two weeks can also be used for routine pre-natal appointments.
For Safe Leave, you have only 12 days of benefits.
DO I HAVE TO TAKE LEAVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME?
You can take leave in several different ways:
1. Block leave – absence taken as a consecutive span of time for a single qualifying reason.
2. Reduced schedule – a leave schedule that reduces an employee’s usual number of working hours per workweek, or hours per workday, for a period of time (normally from a full-time schedule to a part-time schedule.)
3. Intermittent leave – absenses in separate, non-consecutive time periods rather than a single span of time for a single qualifying reason.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR CT PAID LEAVE?
You will need to start your claim online at CTPaidLeave.org
Start your claim online at ctpaidleave.org. If you do not have internet, a computer or just hate computers, you can set up an appointment with one of our Community Educators and they will help you navigate the system and start your application.
OR
You can call CT Paid Leave's third-party claims administrator at (877) 499-8606.
You will need to have the following information ready when starting your claim:
1. Identity verification-license, passport, etc.
2. Any documents that support your leave. For example, if you need a Medical Leave then you should have doctor complete a Medical Certification From. For Safe Leave you will need a copy of your court order. For Qualifying Exigency Leave you will need military deployment papers or other military orders. For Bonding Leave you will need adoption papers, Fostering papers or newborn's birth certificate.
We strongly suggest you do your application online. All of the necessary forms and information are available for you there and the process is much easier. Call us and make an appointment if you need assistance, are having issues with your application or need more information about the program.