Connecticut’s Family and Medical Leave Act radically changes on January 1, 2022.  Before to 2022, Connecticut law provided for up to 16 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave for covered life events.  Eligible employees were those who worked for a “covered employer” for more than one year and worked more than 1,000 hours in the previous 12-months.  “Covered employers,” generally, where those employers that employed 75 or more employees.  If those conditions were met, and the employee experienced a covered life event, then the employee could take up to 16 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave.

Effective January 1, 2022, however, Connecticut’s Paid and Family Medical Leave Act takes full effect – meaning that virtually all employees working in Connecticut (regardless of the size of the employer) will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid  job-protected leave.  Employees may either use their paid leave entitlement from their employer (being allowed to retain up to two weeks of paid leave for later use) or can take advantage of paid leave through a fund established from employee contributions (which began in 2021).

On December 1, I was privileged to present a one-hour webinar for the Pro Bono Partnership focusing on the intricacies of the Connecticut Paid and Family Medical Leave Act.  You may view the presentation and the materials here.

The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority began accepting applications for paid leave on December 1 and expects between 1,000 and 1,500 applications each day.

To the extent you have questions about the Connecticut Paid and Family Medical Leave Act, you should confer with legal counsel of your choice or reach out to the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority or the Connecticut Department of Labor.