CT Paid Leave Authority: Most noncertified school staff now covered; employers must register and begin deductions

Erin Choquette, CEO of the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority, told a webinar of public‑school operators that Public Act 25‑174 brings employees in positions that do not require professional certification into Connecticut paid leave and Connecticut FMLA as of Oct. 1 and urged employers to register and begin required payroll deductions.

The change means public school operators — defined by the law to include local and regional boards of education, interdistrict magnet schools, state and local charter schools, certain approved academies and Regional Education Service Centers — must register at ctpleave.org, deduct 0.5 percent from covered employees’ wages and remit contributions to the authority on a quarterly basis. “This program is for workers by workers,” Choquette said, explaining the program is entirely employee‑funded and that employers are responsible for processing deductions and transmitting contributions to the paid leave trust fund.

Why it matters: the authority said payroll deductions for most employers began in 2021 and the program has been paying benefits since 2022. Contributions go into a trust fund administered by the state treasurer that, the authority said, is restricted to operating the paid‑leave program and paying benefits. The authority reported it has paid…