LANGUAGE
SEARCH
Sign in
Hello,
Am I Eligible for CT Paid Leave?
Covered employers
The first requirement for CT Paid Leave eligibility is that you work for a covered employer in Connecticut at the time that you need to take leave from work or that you did work for a covered employer within the 12 weeks immediately before your need for benefits began. Sole proprietors or self-employed individuals may also be eligible if they have chosen to enroll in the CT Paid Leave program.
Who is NOT a covered employer?
- federal government
- municipalities, unless their unionized employees collectively bargain to participate
- local or regional boards of education, unless their unionized employees collectively bargain to participate
- non-public elementary or secondary schools
- railroads
- governments of other states or countries
- sovereign nations (including tribes)*
Looking for information about whether an agreement to participate in CT Paid Leave program already exists or is being discussed?
If you are a unionized employee of the State of Connecticut, a municipality, or a board of education contact your union leadership.
These individuals may also be excluded:
- Interstate truck drivers who work in Connecticut but live in another state and thus do not pay income tax in Connecticut
- Spouses of active duty military members who have opted to continue to pay taxes in their home state instead of Connecticut
- Individual workers who work for subminimum wage pursuant to a 14C certificate
A note for employees of schools
Employees of local and regional boards of education can negotiate through collective bargaining to be included. If that occurs, all of the employees of that particular board of education, union and non-union, will be covered by the CT Paid Leave Program.
Private colleges, universities and other post-secondary schools are covered by the CT Paid Leave Program. Because the employees of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and UCONN are employed by the State of Connecticut, they follow the same rules as other State of Connecticut employees. Non-unionized employees are covered by the CT Paid Leave Program and unionized employees of these institutions are not covered unless they negotiate for coverage through collective bargaining.
A Note for Municipalities
A Note for Municipalities
Public Act 24-5, effective October 1, 2024, defines a "municipality" in CT Paid Leave and CT FMLA as any metropolitan district, town, consolidated town and city, consolidated town and borough, village, fire and sewer district, sewer district and each municipal organization having the authority to levy and collect taxes.
Top Things to Know
- A municipality or board of education is not a covered employer under CT Paid Leave unless one or more of its bargaining units collectively bargains to be included. This means their employees do not contribute to the program and they are not eligible for benefits.
- If one or more bargaining units collectively bargain with their employer to participate in the CT Paid Leave program, then all of the non-represented employees of that municipality or board of education will also become participants in the program.
- Employees represented by any bargaining unit in that municipality or board of education that did not bargain for participation will continue to be excluded from the program.
- The municipality or board of education must notify the CT Paid Leave Authority by providing a copy of the collective bargaining agreement, registering on the CT Paid Leave website as an employer, and deducting the required contributions from the wages of the affected employees.
- Contributions shall be deducted from the wages of the affected employees beginning on the effective date of the collective bargaining agreement.
- The affected employees will not be able to apply for CT Paid Leave benefits until the later of the following:
- the first day of the month following 3 full calendar months from the date of registration; or
- the first day of the month coinciding with or immediately following the effective date of the collective bargaining agreement.
- Collectively bargaining for participation in the CT Paid Leave program does not automatically result in changing the employees' rights to job protected leave. Employees cannot collectively bargain into coverage under the CT FMLA, as enforced by the CT Department of Labor, but they may collectively bargain for a policy that adopts the provisions of the CT FMLA, such as eligibility for job protected leave after 3 months of employment and the broader definition of family for caregiver leave.
- If you are an employee of the State of Connecticut who has a position that is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement (such as an appointed position, a position at the Connecticut General Assembly, or a managerial or confidential position) you are covered by the CT Paid Leave Program.
- If you are an employee of the State of Connecticut who is in a position that is covered by a collective bargaining agreements, you are not covered under CT Paid Leave unless your bargaining unit collectively bargains to be included. This means you do not contribute to the program, and you are not eligible for benefits.
- If you are in a position that is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, but you have chosen not to be a member of the union, you are still not covered by the CT Paid Leave program because coverage is determined by the job classification, not the individual’s personal decision about union membership.
- State employee unions may bargain for prospective participation in the program following existing laws and regulations relating to collective bargaining.
- If any state employee union collectively bargains for participation, the State’s designated representative for collective bargaining matters will notify the CT Paid Leave Authority by providing a copy of the collective bargaining agreement and the State will deduct the required contributions from the wages of the affected employees.
- Contributions shall be deducted from the wages of the affected employees beginning on the effective date of the collective bargaining agreements.
- The affected employees will not be able to apply for CT Paid Leave benefits until the later of the following:
- the first day of the month following 3 full calendar months from the date of registration; or
- the first day of the month coinciding with or immediately following the effective date of the collective bargaining agreement.
- You cannot negotiate to participate retroactively.
- All employees of the State of Connecticut are covered by Connecticut FMLA. Learn whether you are eligible for leave under Connecticut FMLA.
- A tribal enterprise is not a covered employer under CT Paid Leave unless the tribe enters into an agreement with the Governor of Connecticut for participation. That means their employees do not contribute to the program and they are not eligible for benefits.
- Looking for information about whether your tribal enterprise has entered into or is in the process of entering into an agreement to participate in the CT Paid Leave program, contact your union leadership (if any) or your tribal leadership.
Minimum earnings
The second requirement for CT Paid Leave eligibility is that you have earned at least $2,325 from a covered employer in the highest-earning quarter of the first four of the five most recently completed quarters (the ”base period”) and (1) you are currently employed or have been employed within the last 12 weeks by a covered employer, or (2) you are a Connecticut resident who is self-employed or a sole proprietor who enrolled in the program.
Part-time, per diem, and seasonal workers may be eligible for CT Paid Leave as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. An employee does not need to work a specific number of hours to be eligible for benefits under the CT Paid Leave program.
Quarter 1
7/1/22 -
9/30/22
$2,200 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 2
10/1/22 -
12/31/22
$1,600 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 3
1/1/23 -
3/31/23
$2,000 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 4
4/1/23 -
6/30/23
$2,400 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 5
7/1/23 -
9/30/23
N/A
Not In the Base Period
Current Quarter
10/1/23 -
12/31/23
N/A
Not In the Base Period
In this example, the worker earned at least $2325 in quarter 4 and has therefore met the minimum earnings requirement.
Qualifying reasons
The third requirement for CT Paid Leave eligibility is that you are experiencing a serious health condition, are caring for a family member experiencing a serious health condition, or are experiencing another eligible leave reason. There are 6 qualifying reasons to apply for CT Paid Leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only employees who work in Connecticut can participate in CT Paid Leave. If an employer is paying unemployment insurance for an employee to the CT Department of Labor, that is evidence the employee works in Connecticut.
An employee who lives in Connecticut but works in another state is not eligible to participate in the CT Paid Leave program but may be eligible to participate in a paid leave program offered by the state where he or she works.
