HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, in partnership with the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority, announced the launch of a new website – CTPaidLeave.org – with the goal of supporting all Connecticut residents to understand their roles, rights, and responsibilities based on the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA). The site is built to provide information for all employers, employees, and healthcare providers to better navigate this new, comprehensive program, administered by the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority.
The Connecticut Paid Leave program is set to begin on January 1, 2021, making the new website a vital tool for all impacted employees, employers, sole proprietors and self-employed individuals to understand their roles and responsibilities. Paid Leave program benefits become accessible to qualified employees beginning on January 1, 2022.
The new website serves as more than just an informational guide to the new PFMLA legislation, but also provides many of the tools needed by employers, employees, third-party administrators and healthcare professionals to begin preparing for and implementing the changes necessitated by this new program.
Some of these tools include:
· Downloadable fact sheets, video guides and timelines specific to employer, employee, and sole proprietor/self-employed individuals’ needs.
· An estimator tool to help employees anticipate payroll deductions. (The program is funded through payroll deductions)
· Resources for sole proprietors and self-employed individuals interested in opting in to the program.
· Resources for employers interested in applying for an exemption from the program.
· Resources specific to all business types on how to register with the CT Paid Leave Authority.
· Frequently Asked Questions that are updated periodically to include the most common inquiries as this new program is rolled out.
The website has launched as a result of the efforts of many people and organizations advocating for the support of the paid family and medical leave in Connecticut. In particular, the co-chairs of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, State Senator Julie Kushner and State Representative Robyn Porter, were instrumental in making Connecticut Paid Leave program a reality.
In addition to advocacy in the Connecticut state legislature, this new program was met with support from the private sector — including business owners, labor groups, employees, and healthcare providers.
“No one should have to choose between caring for their family when they need it most, and paying their bills,” Governor Lamont said. “This program was put together thoughtfully to ensure that working families in our state don’t have to make that tough choice. Now more than ever, it’s important that we make these tools available – if we’ve learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the importance of planning ahead. This website is an incredible tool that will help employers and employees alike effectively prepare for this new program. I want to thank the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority, the legislature, organized labor, and advocacy organizations for their work and support of this effort.”
“Never has it been more clear the importance of having resources available to Connecticut working families as they balance their workplace responsibilities with their personal and family health needs,” Connecticut Paid Leave CEO Andrea Barton Reeves said. “The launching of this comprehensive new website is a significant step forward in our goal to help employers, employees and healthcare providers access these resources, and to provide a gateway to vital information for everyone to better understand their rights, roles and responsibilities in this new program.”
“The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority has been focused on making sure that this program is administered effectively and efficiently, and that everyone has what they need to prepare for the changes it will bring,” Connecticut Chief Operating Officer and Administrative Services Commissioner Josh Geballe said. “Even while the state is combating a global pandemic, we have moved forward developing resources for employers and employees that will help answer their questions and enable them to spend more time building their business, and with their family – and less time searching for information.”
“The launch of this comprehensive website marks a critical step as Connecticut enacts one of the strongest paid leave programs in the country,” Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) Policy Director Madeline Granato said. “CWEALF is proud to continue to lead the campaign for paid family leave here in Connecticut and work alongside the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority to ensure that all workers in our state receive critical information and resources about Connecticut’s new and upcoming paid leave program.”
Governor Lamont signed
the Paid Family Medical Leave Act into law on June 25, 2019. It offers Connecticut workers the opportunity to take time to attend to personal and family health needs without worrying about lost income. The formation of the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority was a result of last year’s legislation, and provides Connecticut’s workforce access to paid leave benefits, as well as helpful tools and resources to help employers administer this new program. The authority is a quasi-public agency led by CEO Andrea Barton Reeves.
This press release is made possible by:
