Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)

Connecticut

Connecticut Paid Leave Authority

Effective: 01/01/22
Last updated: 01/16/24

State website: www.ctpaidleave.org/

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Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave (CT PFML) Plan Details

Summary:
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State or private plan: (insured or self-insured).

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Mandatory coverage: For all employers in Connecticut, except the federal government, state, municipalities, or local or regional boards of education (except if the employees have negotiated for coverage through their CBA), and private elementary or secondary schools.

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Waiting period: 0 days.

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Benefit duration: 12 weeks per benefit year, plus up to 2 additional weeks for incapacity related to pregnancy (for total of 14 weeks).

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Maximum benefit: $941.40.

 
Coverage details
  • State or private plan.
  • Private plans may be insured or self-insured and must at least equal the provisions of the state plan.
  • An exemption from the state plan must be filed and approved before the private plan may go into effect. Requires majority employee approval.

Symetra offers an insured CT PFML plan for employers who have group life or disability coverage with Symetra or, for groups with 200 or more lives who have our FMLA administration, we can provide ASO services for an employer’s self-insured private plan.

Covered employers

All employers with one or more eligible employees working in Connecticut are eligible, except the federal government, the state of Connecticut in connection with its unionized employees, municipalities, local or regional boards of education (except to the extent the employees have negotiated through collective bargaining to be included), and private elementary and secondary schools.

Covered individuals

Covered individuals include all employees who have earned wages of at least $2,325 from employment in Connecticut in the employee’s highest-earning quarter of the base period (the first 4 of the 5 most recently completed quarters) and have met the following eligibility requirements:

  • Eligible employees currently working and providing services in Connecticut (including full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary, on-call, per-diem, and seasonal employees);
  • Individuals who were employed and working in Connecticut within the last 12 weeks; or
  • Are a Connecticut resident who is self-employed or a sole proprietor who has opted into the state plan.
Contribution amount
  • State plan rate: 0.50% of Average Weekly Wages, up to the Social Security Maximum of $168,600 for 2024. The state plan rate and taxable wage base may be adjusted annually.
  • The state plan is 100% employee paid. No employer contributions are required.
  • Private plan rates may be different from the state plan.
  • An employee cannot be required to contribute more under a private plan than they would have under the state plan. The employer can always contribute more.
  • Note that the law includes an employee maximum contribution amount of 0.5%; if funding and solvency becomes an issue, the state would address by lowering benefits vs. increasing the rate.
Waiting period

There is no waiting period. Benefits are payable on the first day of leave.

Benefit calculation
  • 95% of the employee’s Average Weekly Wage that is equal to or less than 40x Connecticut’s minimum wage; PLUS
  • 60% of the employee’s Average Weekly Wage that is more than 40x Connecticut’s minimum wage;

not to exceed the Maximum Weekly Benefit.

Maximum weekly benefit amount
  • 60x Connecticut’s minimum wage.
  • Connecticut’s minimum wage is $15.69, which equals a $941.40 maximum benefit.
Minimum weekly benefit
amount

Not applicable.

Other income amount offsets

A 100% backdoor offset will be used for the following other income amounts the covered individual actually receives while eligible for CT PFML:

  • Compensation paid by Employer due to termination of employment, including but not limited to severance pay and/or retirement benefits;
  • A disability policy or program of the employer;
  • A life insurance policy of the employer where the employer pays a portion of the policy;
  • A medical or health insurance policy of the employer that pays wage replacement benefits to the covered individual;
  • A paid family or medical leave policy or program of the employer (other than CT PFML benefits);
  • Accrued paid leave to the extent applicable;
  • An Educational Benefits Reimbursement program of the employer; and
  • A pension plan or program of the employer.
Maximum duration: Family leave or medical leave

12 weeks in a benefit year, with up to two additional weeks for Connecticut Paid Medical Leave due to incapacity related to pregnancy.

Maximum duration: Family violence

12 days in a benefit year.

Maximum duration: Combined medical and family leave, including family violence

12 weeks in a benefit year, with up to two additional weeks for Connecticut Paid Medical Leave due to incapacity related to pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Important Information:

 

 

Symetra Life Insurance Company, 777 108th Avenue NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue, WA 98004.

First Symetra National Life Insurance Company of New York, New York, NY. Mailing address: P.O. Box 34690, Seattle, WA 98124.

Symetra Life Insurance Company is a direct subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation. First Symetra National Life Insurance Company of New York is a direct subsidiary of Symetra Life Insurance Company and is an indirect subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation (collectively, “Symetra”). Neither Symetra Financial Corporation nor Symetra Life Insurance Company solicits business in the state of New York and they are not authorized to do so. Each company is responsible for its own financial obligations.

Symetra® is a registered service mark of Symetra Life Insurance Company.

Symetra assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or timeliness of any information provided herein. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. We recommend employers speak with legal counsel specializing in labor and employment law to ensure compliance with applicable PFML and PFL mandates.

The information on this page was updated as of September 2024.