Remember that while the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CT FMLA) may provide job-protected leave, the CT Paid Leave program provides income. There are a few criteria to be eligible for CT Paid Leave benefits.

• You work for a covered employer. Almost all employers with one or more people working in Connecticut are covered employers under CT Paid Leave; however, there are a few exceptions. The following employers are not covered, which means that if you work for one of these employers you would not be eligible for CT Paid Leave benefits: the federal government, non-public elementary or secondary schools, railroads, governments of other states, and sovereign nations. Municipalities and boards of education are also not covered employers unless their unionized employees have collectively bargained to be included in CT Paid Leave. Lastly, the State of Connecticut is a covered employer as to its non-unionized workforce only.
• You’ve met the minimum earnings requirement. To be eligible for CT Paid Leave benefits, you must have earned at least $2,325 in the highest earning quarter of the past four of the five most recently completed quarters. For example, if you are applying for benefits in April, CT Paid Leave will look at your earnings between January and December 2023 to ensure that you earned at least $2325 or more in one of the quarters of the year. If you have multiple jobs, the earnings from all covered employers will be considered when determining if this minimum earnings requirement has been met. Part-time, per diem, and seasonal workers may be eligible for CT Paid Leave. An employee does not need to work a specific number of hours to be eligible for benefits under the CT Paid Leave program.
• You currently work for a covered employer, or you did work for a covered employer within the 12 weeks preceding your claim for benefits. Even if you don’t work for a covered employer currently, you may still be eligible for benefits if you were working for a covered employer during the 12 weeks preceding your claim.
• You’re experiencing a qualifying reason. Those reasons include: receiving treatment for or recovering from your own serious health condition; caring for a family member with a serious health condition; bonding with a new child who has entered your home through birth, adoption, or foster care; addressing certain issues arising from family violence; and taking military caregiver leave or qualifying exigency leave.

To see if you’re likely to be eligible for benefits, you can use the Eligibility Questionnaire at ctpaidleave.org. To start an application, you may use the online portal at ctpaidleave.org or call (877) 499-8606.

This article was written by Jessica Vargas, CT Paid Leave Authority’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.