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 roughly $1.2 billion in benefits to about 175,000 workers and has received claims from every Connecticut city and town.

What employers must do: Choquette advised new‑cover employers to register as public school operators and to enter Oct. 1 as the date they first had Connecticut workers. Employers must collect a 0.5 percent contribution (calculated by applying the same inclusions/exclusions used for FICA), remit quarterly with a one‑month grace period before penalties apply, and may remit more frequently (weekly via ACH) if desired. If an employer fails to deduct and remit contributions, Choquette said the employer may be held responsible for missed contributions plus penalties (she cited a 10 percent penalty or $50, whichever is greater).

Claims and verification: employees apply for wage‑replacement benefits to the authority online or through the authority’s third‑party processor, Aflac. The authority requires identity verification, a completed employment verification form and documentation of the leave reason before it will pay benefits. Choquette said schools should use the authority’s special school employment verification form that collects schedule, certification status and payment‑schedule information; the authority also provides a job aid for employers.

Coverage limits and interactions with FMLA: Choquette reminded attendees that Connecticut paid leave provides income replacement but is not itself a separate source of job protection. Job‑protected leave comes from federal FMLA or Connecticut FMLA; the recent statutory change includes many school employees in Connecticut FMLA where positions do not require certification. Certified positions (for example, most teachers and administrators) remain excluded unless their bargaining unit prospectively negotiates participation. Employers must adopt leave policies that reference Connecticut FMLA and may designate qualifying leave as FMLA even if the employee objects.

Key definitions and exceptions: the authority treats positions that require professional certification under chapter 166 as excluded even when temporarily filled by permit holders (DSAP educators). For employees with dual roles, the authority looks to the employee’s primary role when determining coverage. The authority also adjusted wage‑calculation rules for employees who choose different pay schedules (10‑month, 12‑month, balloon payments) by annualizing wages and dividing by four to compute quarterly base‑period earnings for eligibility.

Leaves the program covers: Choquette summarized covered leave reasons — medical leave (including pregnancy and recovery), bonding (parents only, within 12 months), caregiver leave, military caregiver leave (Connecticut law allows up to 26 weeks of job protection), military qualifying exigency leave, and family violence leave (statutory entitlement, limited to 12 days for that law). The authority typically pays up to 12 weeks of benefits for most qualifying reasons; certain Connecticut statutes allow additional job‑protected leave in specific cases.

Frequently asked questions and follow‑up: in the webinar Q&A Choquette confirmed the authority’s website is updated to reflect school coverage, advised employers on FMLA 12‑month period choices (calendar, anniversary, or rolling) and said federal and Connecticut FMLA generally run concurrently when both apply. She advised contacting Connecticut DOL for permission to take a one‑time make‑up deduction if the employer missed earlier payroll withholding, and said the authority will email employers when an employee’s claim is approved even if the employer does not request the detailed report access.

Choquette closed by promising to share the slide deck and recording and to follow up on outstanding questions about stipend withholding. For implementation help, the authority directed employers to ctpleave.org for registration, job aids and remittance instructions.