Great news! There are several family leave laws that Connecticut workers can take advantage of:
- Federal Family & Medical Leave (FMLA)
- Connecticut Family & Medical Leave (CT FMLA)
- Connecticut Paid Leave (CTPL)
If you’re covered, the federal FMLA and CT FMLA give you the right to time off and protect your job, but do not provide pay.
CTPL gives you cash benefits to help cover lost wages while you are on leave, but doesn’t protect your job.
Generally, if you qualify for both, leave under FMLA and CT FMLA runs concurrently (at the same time). When taken at the same time, FMLA or CT FMLA leave can protect your job while CTPL provides you with cash benefits.
Federal Family & Medical Leave (FMLA)
FMLA provides leave to care for a:
- Child (who is under the age of 18 or incapable of self-care due to a physical or mental disability)
- Spouse
- Parent (including a biological, adoptive, foster, or step-parent, or any other person who stood "in loco parentis” but not including a parent-in-law)
FMLA eligibility includes:
- All public employers and private employers who employ 50 or more workers within 75 miles of the employee’s worksite.
- Employees must have worked for a covered employer for at least one year and have worked for that employer for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months.
FMLA provisions:
Up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for the following reasons:
- For incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care, or childbirth
- To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care
- To care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition
- For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform their job
- For certain needs in connection with a loved one's military deployment
- If medically necessary, employees caring for a seriously ill loved one may be able to take this time in smaller chunks, spread out over time, rather than all at once
FMLA Protections:
- Job and Seniority: Upon return from FMLA leave, nearly all employees must be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms. Rare exceptions to this rule are explained here.
- Benefits: During FMLA leave, the employer must maintain the employee’s health coverage and continue paying any share of their health insurance premium under any “group health plan” on the same terms as if the employee had continued to work.
- FMLA rights: An employer can’t punish an employee in any way for using their FMLA rights and can’t interfere with the employees ability to use their rights under the law.
How to apply for FMLA:
- Notify your employer of your need for leave. You'll need to get your loved one's health care provider to certify their health condition and need for care. Your employer will then provide you with notices and forms to fill out and return to them.
- If you know in advance when your leave will start, tell your employer at least 30 days before that date. If you can’t do so or don’t know in advance, tell your employer as soon as possible.
Detailed information about Federal FMLA, visit the US Department of Labor website.
But first, check out how the Connecticut laws expand on this coverage below.
CT FMLA
CT FMLA expands on the Federal FMLA law with:
- A broader definition of “family member”
- Eligibility for more residents
CT FMLA provides leave to care for a:
- Child (of any age, including a biological, adoptive, foster, or step-child or a child to whom the employee stands or stood “in loco parentis”)
- Spouse
- Parent (including biological, adoptive, foster, or step-parent, a person who stood “in loco parentis” to the employee when the employee was a child, or a parent-in-law)
- Sibling
- Grandchild
- Grandparent
- Person related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association to the employee shows to be the equivalent of a family relationship
CT FMLA eligibility includes:
- Employees of the state of Connecticut and private employers with at least one employee (but not municipalities, local or regional boards of education, or nonpublic elementary or secondary schools)
- Employees who have been employed by a covered employer for at least three months prior to the request for leave
CT FMLA provisions:
Up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period of unpaid leave:
- For the birth or adoption of a child
- For the placement of child for foster care
- To care for a family member with a serious medical condition
- For the serious medical condition of the employee
- To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor
- For matters relating to a family member that is an active duty member of the U.S. armed forces
CT FMLA protections:
- Job and seniority: The employer is required to reinstate the employee to the same or an equivalent position.
- Benefits: The employer is not required to maintain the employee’s group health insurance.
- CT FMLA rights: The employer can’t punish the employee in any way for using their CT FMLA rights or interfere with their ability to do so.
How to apply for CT FMLA:
- Notify your employer of your need for leave. You'll need to get your loved one's health care provider to certify their health condition and need for care. Your employer will then provide you with notices and forms to fill out and return to them.
- If you know in advance when your leave will start, tell your employer at least 30 days before that date. If you can’t do so or don’t know in advance, tell your employer as soon as possible.
CTPL
CT FMLA expands on the Federal FMLA law with:
- A broader definition of “family member”
- Eligibility for more residents
- Paid leave
CTPL provides benefits while an employee is on leave to care for a:
- Child (of any age, including a biological, adoptive, foster, or step-child or a child to whom the employee stands or stood “in loco parentis”)
- Spouse
- Parent (including biological, adoptive, foster, or step-parent, a person who stood “in loco parentis” to the employee when the employee was a child, or a parent-in-law)
- Civil union partner
- Parent-in-law
- Step-parent
- Sibling
- Grandchild
- Grandparent
- Person related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association to the employee shows to be the equivalent of a family relationship
CTPL eligibility includes:
- Employees of private employers with at least one employee, as well as certain state and local government employers
- Employees that have earned at least $2,325 in covered wages in the highest-earning quarter of the first four of the most recent five three-month quarters,
- Self-employed workers can opt in to coverage
CTPL provisions:
- Up to 12 weeks in a twelve-month period of paid benefits during leave: some text
- For the birth or adoption of a child
- For the placement of child for foster care
- To care for a family member with a serious medical condition
- For the serious medical condition of the employee
- To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor
- For matters relating to a family member that is an active duty member of the U.S. armed forces
- Up to 12 days for certain needs in connection with family violence
CTPL benefit amount:
Benefits are calculated based on the employee’s average weekly wage on a sliding scale, where the employee will receive:
- 95% of the portion of their income that’s less than 40 times the minimum wage
- Plus 60% of the portion of their income that’s more than 40 times the minimum wage
- The total weekly compensation will be capped at 60 times the minimum wage (60 x minimum wage = $941.40/week as of 01/01/24)
Learn more about how your CTPL benefit is calculated at the CT Paid Leave website.
How to apply for paid family leave in Connecticut:
- Notify your employer of your need for leave. You'll need to get your loved one's health care provider to certify their health condition and need for care.
- If you know in advance when your leave will start, tell your employer at least 30 days before that date. If you can’t do so or don’t know in advance, tell your employer as soon as possible.
- To apply for CTPL go to ctpaidleave.org.
Visit the CT.gov website for the most current details about Connecticut family leave policies.
Note: The state, county, or city where you live may also offer short term (a few days per year) paid sick leave or paid time off that you may be able to use for caregiving. You can find short term leave information for jurisdictions in the state of Connecticut here.
The information on this page should not be considered legal advice. Other protections may apply in your specific situation.
At RubyWell, we’re paving a path to financial stability for all family caregivers. Our Family Leave Finder provides state-by-sate info on family leave laws. Soon, family caregivers will be able to make the most of a loved one’s health insurance benefits with our Medicare Advantage Benefits Navigator. And ultimately, we're developing compensation solutions so that every family caregiver can be a paid caregiver. If you’d like to be among the first to hear about future products, join our waiting list.
Was this guide helpful for you? Share it with family or friends who are also trying to balance work and caring for a family member.
