Our Mission
The CT Paid Leave Authority serves a growing need by providing financial relief to Connecticut
families, allowing individuals to care for a loved one, or themselves, without having to worry about
lost income.
The CT Paid Leave Authority is a quasi - public agency established in 2019, when Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill creating the most comprehensive and generous paid family and medical leave law in the nation at the time.
The CT Paid Leave Authority serves a growing need by providing financial relief to Connecticut
families, allowing individuals to care for a loved one, or themselves, without having to worry about
lost income.
The CT Paid Leave Authority was established to administer a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program that provides employees access to income replacement benefits when out of work for life events covered under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CT FMLA) and the Connecticut Family Violence Leave Act.
Covered employees and enrolled self-employed individuals and sole proprietors contribute one-half of one percent (0.5%) of their earnings, capped at the Social Security contribution and benefit base, to the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund through payroll deductions. Employers are responsible for withholding employee contributions and submitting them to the Authority on a quarterly basis. The obligation to withhold the employee contributions began on January 1, 2021.
The Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund was established by C.G.S. 31-49 and is a non-lapsing state fund held by the State Treasurer that is not considered property of the state. The assets of the trust are used to pay the income replacement benefits to covered employees as well as the operational, administrative, outreach and educational expenses of the Authority.
Erin O'Brien Choquette, CEO
Erin O'Brien Choquette is the Chief Executive Officer of the Paid Leave Authority. Prior to her appointment as CEO of the CT Paid Leave Authority in January 2023, Ms. Choquette served as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer. She worked for the Department of Administrative Services for 14 years, serving as the Policy and Legislative Advisor to the DAS Commissioner, directing the agency's legislative and general legal functions. While at DAS, Ms. Choquette co-authored the Family and Medical Leave Entitlements Manual, an extensive and detailed guide to understanding and administering federal and state family and medical leave laws. Ms. Choquette practiced law for several years at Robinson & Cole, LLP, where she focused on employer counseling and the litigation of employment-related claims as well as disability insurance litigation.
Ms. Choquette received her J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She received a B.A., in cursu honoris cum laude, from the College of the Holy Cross.
More About the CT Paid Leave Authority
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