The recent excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup has put a spotlight on the amazing athletic talents of soccer players from around the world. However, it has also put a spotlight on something else -  the United States is the only one of the 48 countries represented in this year’s World Cup that does not have a federal paid maternity leave policy. Furthermore, the United States is one of only six countries worldwide without such a policy.

It is within this absence of a program that nearly the entirety of the rest of the world deems not just nice to have but rather absolutely necessary for societal good, that states like Connecticut have taken it upon themselves to pass and implement their own paid family and medical leave legislation. Connecticut is one of just 14 states, plus Washington, D.C., with a state paid leave plan.

Connecticut is still relatively new to the paid leave space, having issued its first benefit payments in January 2022, but the impact the program has had in just under five years cannot be understated. Since inception, Connecticut Paid Leave has provided over $1.7 billion dollars in benefits for over 320,000 claims. That money benefitted people who needed to take some time away from work to recover from their own serious health condition, care for a loved one, bond with a new child, deal with issues arising from family violence or sexual assault, or address circumstances arising from a family member’s military service. Over half of all claims received are for a person’s own serious health condition, followed by bonding with a new child in second place, and caregiving for a seriously ill family member rounding out the top three.

For over 30 years, both Connecticut’s Family and Medical Leave Act and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act have provided job protected leave for some employees for qualifying reasons. However, what good is job protection if one can’t afford to pay their rent or mortgage or put food on the table when they’re not working? CT Paid Leave is the missing piece of the puzzle that enables people to actually take the time they need to heal, to bond, or to care, knowing they’ll still be able to support themselves and their families.

While up to 12 weeks of paid leave benefits are available for most leave reasons, the actual length of time taken is just over 7 weeks. Over 47 percent of claims come from Generation Y – those aged 30 to 45 years old, who are often starting or expanding their families or are in the sandwich generation, in which they are raising their own children while also providing care for aging loved ones. Fifty nine percent of all claims come from women.

One can only hope that by the time the next World Cup rolls around, the United States will have joined the rest of the world in recognizing the importance of a federal paid leave policy. Until then, we are grateful that Connecticut’s workers have the safety net that our state paid leave program provides.

For more information on Connecticut Paid Leave or to apply, visit ctpaidleave.org or call 877-499-8606.

Jessica Vargas, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at CT Paid Leave, wrote this article.