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Paid Family & Medical Leave Benefits at a Glance

Connecticut’s version of a state-mandated Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of partially paid time off whether coverage is through the CT Paid Leave State Plan or a fully insured Private Plan, such as ShelterPoint’s PFML policy. Leave reasons include, for example, bonding with a new child (birth, adoption, foster), caring for a family member with a serious health condition, domestic violence leave, or for the employee’s own serious health condition.

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What can Leave be taken for?

Up to 12 weeks can be taken for these leave reasons:

CARE FOR SOMEONE ELSE SELF-CARE

Bonding Leave icon

Bonding Leave

Caregiver Leave icon

Caregiver Leave

Military Exigency Leave icon

Military Exigency Leave

Self-Care icon



  • Bonding with a new child (birth, adoption, or foster-care placement)

  • Caring for a family member with a serious health condition
  • To care for a military family member who is injured during active duty*

  • For any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the armed forces
  • The employee’s own serious health condition
    • The employee may be entitled to two additional weeks of benefits for incapacitation during pregnancy
  • To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor
  • For Safe Leave: If an employee is experiencing family violence or sexual assault, they can apply to take up to 12 days of leave

    
 
What Is the Benefit Duration in a 12-Month Period?

Bonding Leave icon
Bonding Leave


Up to
12 WEEKS






Giving Care icon
Caregiving Leave


Up to
12 WEEKS*






Military Exigency icon
Military Exigency Leave

Up to
12 WEEKS




Self Care icon
Self-Care

12  WEEKS
Plus
The employee may be entitled to two additional weeks of benefits for incapacitation during pregnancy. If an employee is experiencing family violence, they can apply to take up to 12 days of leave.

 

*While an employee may take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for a family member who was injured on active military duty, only 12 weeks of that leave is eligible for paid benefits from the CT Paid Leave Authority or ShelterPoint (if ShelterPoint is the Private Plan carrier.)

 


    

How much is the Maximum Benefit Amount?

The weekly benefit is the same across all leave reasons – see the current CT Paid Leave maximum benefit here.

The actual amount depends on various factors and is calculated with a combination of the covered employee’s base weekly earnings and the CT minimum wage as follows1:

 

Base Weekly Earnings2 Corresponding Benefit Calculation
Less than or equal to
40 times the CT minimum wage 
95% of the base weekly earnings
Threshold = 40 times the CT minimum wage
More than 40 Times
the CT minimum wage
95% of the base weekly earnings + 60% of base weekly earnings that exceed the threshold Capped at currently 60 Times
the CT minimum wage1

 

1Click here to see the current CT Paid Leave maximum weekly benefit and benefit calculations.

2 For claims starting on or after 1/1. Claims starting prior to 1/1 are calculated with the prior minimum wage values.


What form of wages count as base weekly earnings?  

Base weekly earnings are comprised of taxable compensation subject to FICA calculations. This may include salary, wages, tips, bonuses, commissions, and taxable fringe benefits. IRS Publication 15-B has a chart of various fringe benefits that are subject to FICA and those that are exempt. Retirement, pension payments, and 401k distributions are not considered wages for the purpose of determining base weekly earnings.  For benefit calculations, ShelterPoint* will only consider the employee’s wages earned with its insured employer.

Woman in front of a computer smiling


How to Calculate the Maximum Benefit Amount for CT Paid Leave

At the time of claim, reported earnings for the 5 most recently completed quarters leading up to the start of the claim are considered for the benefit calculation. The first 2 highest quarters of this lookback period are used in the benefit calculation.

  1. Determine the quarterly earnings used in the benefit calculation:
    • Count back over the last 5 completed quarters (see next section for details on how to count back).
    • Select the two highest quarters of pay among the base period. To determine the average weekly wage (AWW), add both quarterly payments together and divide by 26.

  2. Use this AWW amount in the benefit calculation above:
    • If an an employee’s Base Weekly Earnings are less than or equal to CT minimum wage, multiplied by 40:
      • Weekly benefit rate will be equal to 95% of your average weekly wage.
    • If Covered Employee's Base Weekly Earnings exceed the Connecticut minimum wage multiplied by 40:
      • Weekly benefit rate will be 95% of the CT minimum wage multiplied by 40 plus 60% of the amount of Base Weekly Earnings that exceeds the CT minimum wage multiplied by 40.

  3. Check if it falls within the maximum weekly benefit cap:
    • The weekly benefit is capped at 60 times the CT minimum wage. See the current benefit cap here where we do the math for you.
    • If the benefit amount exceeds the cap, then the maximum benefit cap may apply.



How to Calculate the Base Year

As mentioned above, the first 4 of the 5 most recently completed quarters of the lookback period are considered the base period.

See the eligibility requirements here.

To determine the base year earnings, count back by 5 quarters from the date the claim began to the prior 4 completed quarters. Here is a handy chart to identify the 4 quarters based on the claim filing date:

If your first date of leave is between. . . . . . you use the base period as follows:
Q1 (Jan. 01 - Mar. 31) Q4 from 2 years ago to Q4 of prior year
Q2 (Apr. 01 - Jun. 30) Q1 from 2 years ago to Q1 of prior year
Q3 (Jul. 01 - Sep. 30)
Q1 of prior year to Q1 of current year
Q4 (Oct. 01 - Dec. 31)
Q3 of prior year to Q3 of current year
Working on a laptop

CT Paid Leave Benefits FAQs

 

Who is a “covered family member” under CT Paid Leave?

Covered family members include:
  • spouse
  • sibling
  • child
  • grandparent
  • grandchild
  • parent
  • an individual related to the employee by blood or affinity, whose close association with the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships.

Is there a waiting period to receive CT Paid Leave benefits?

No, there is no waiting period. An eligible employee may receive benefits from the first day of leave.

What is considered a “serious health condition”?

A serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves (A) Inpatient Care in a hospital, hospice, nursing home or residential medical care facility; or (B) Continuing Treatment, including outpatient treatment, by a Health Care Provider. A person has a serious health condition if they have one or more of the following conditions listed below.

  1. Inpatient care: an overnight stay in a hospital, hospice, nursing home, or residential medical care facility. This may also include any subsequent treatment in connection with the inpatient care. Leave is covered even if the surgery is elective but requires an overnight stay.

  2. Continuing treatment by a Health Care Provider (one or more of the following)
    1. Incapacity5 and treatment: (including pregnancy) A period of incapacity of more than 3 consecutive calendar days, and any subsequent treatment or period of incapacity relating to the same condition, but it must also involve:
      1. Two or more in-person visits to a health care provider or by a nurse or physician’s assistant under direct supervision of a health care provider, or by a provider of health care services (e.g. physical therapist) under orders of, or on referral by, a health care provider for treatment within 30 days of the first day of incapacity, unless extenuating circumstances exist.
      2. At least one in-person visit to a health care provider for treatment within seven days of the first day of incapacity, which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the health care provider.

    2. Chronic conditions requiring treatments: any period of incapacity due to or treatment for a chronic serious health condition (such as diabetes, epilepsy, asthma) which
      1. Requires periodic visits for treatment by a healthcare provider at least twice a year; and
      2. Continues over an extended period of time (including recurring episodes of a single underlying condition); and
      3. May cause episodic incapacity rather than a continuing period of incapacity.

    3. Any period of incapacity due to pregnancy, or for prenatal care.

    4. Permanent/long-term conditions: A period of incapacity which is permanent or long-term due to a condition for which treatment may not be effective, but which requires the continuing supervision of a Health Care Provider. Examples include Alzheimer’s disease; terminal states of cancer; severe stroke.

    5. Multiple treatments for non-chronic conditions (such as chemotherapy; physical therapy):
      1. Restorative surgery after an accident or other injury; or
      2. A condition that would likely result in a period of incapacity of more than 3 consecutive full calendar days if the employee or employee’s family member did not receive treatment .

What is NOT Considered a Serious Health Condition?

There are many treatments or illnesses that are NOT considered a “serious health condition” under CT PFML law unless there are complications that require inpatient care or continuing treatment. Some examples that do not meet the definition of serious health condition include:

  • Routine examinations
  • Activities that can be and are initiated without a visit to a health care provider is not by itself sufficient for leave, such as taking over-the-counter medications (e.g., aspirin, antihistamines, or salves), bed-rest, drinking fluids, exercise, etc.
  • The common cold, the flu, earaches, upset stomach, minor ulcers, headaches other than migraines, routine dental or orthodontia problems, periodontal disease, etc. (unless complications arise).
  • Cosmetic treatments, such as most treatments for acne or plastic surgery, unless inpatient hospital care is required or unless complications develop.

Note: There may be other situations like restorative dental or plastic surgery which may be covered if there is a serious health condition such as cancerous growths as part of the medical condition. Certain mental illnesses may also be covered. Leave may be taken only for certain substance abuse treatments and not for absences caused by an employee’s use of the substance.

 

5Incapacity means the inability to work, attend school or perform other regular daily activities due to the serious health condition.




Learn More About CT Paid Leave

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