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Am I Eligible for CT Paid Leave?
Covered employers
The first requirement for CT Paid Leave eligibility is that you work for a covered employer in Connecticut or you did work for a covered employer within the 12 weeks immediately before your leave began. Sole proprietors or self-employed individuals may enroll in the program if they so choose.Who is NOT a covered employer?
- federal government
- municipalities, unless their unionized employees collectively bargain to participate
- local or regional boards of education, unless their unionized employees collectively bargain to participate
- non-public elementary or secondary schools
- railroads
- governments of other states
- sovereign nations (including tribes)
These individuals may also be excluded:
- Interstate truck drivers who work in Connecticut but live in another state and thus do not pay income tax in Connecticut
- Spouses of active duty military members who have opted to continue to pay taxes in their home state instead of Connecticut
- Individual workers who work for subminimum wage pursuant to a 14C certificate
A note for employees of schools
Employees of local and regional boards of education can negotiate through collective bargaining to be included. If that occurs, all of the employees of that particular board of education, union and non-union, will be covered by the CT Paid Leave Program.
Private colleges, universities and other post-secondary schools are covered by the CT Paid Leave Program. Because the employees of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and UCONN are employed by the State of Connecticut, they follow the same rules as other State of Connecticut employees. Non-unionized employees are covered by the CT Paid Leave Program and unionized employees of these institutions are not covered unless they negotiate for coverage through collective bargaining.
Minimum earnings
The second requirement for CT Paid Leave eligibility is that you have earned at least $2,325 from a covered employer in the highest-earning quarter of the first four of the five most recently completed quarters (the ”base period”) and (1) you are currently employed or have been employed within the last 12 weeks by a covered employer, or (2) you are a Connecticut resident who is self-employed or a sole proprietor who enrolled in the program.
Part-time, per diem, and seasonal workers may be eligible for CT Paid Leave as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. An employee does not need to work a specific number of hours to be eligible for benefits under the CT Paid Leave program.
Quarter 1
7/1/22 -
9/30/22
$2,200 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 2
10/1/22 -
12/31/22
$1,600 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 3
1/1/23 -
3/31/23
$2,000 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 4
4/1/23 -
6/30/23
$2,400 in
Earnings
In the Base Period
Quarter 5
7/1/23 -
9/30/23
N/A
Not In the Base Period
Current Quarter
10/1/23 -
12/31/23
N/A
Not In the Base Period
In this example, the worker earned at least $2325 in quarter 4 and has therefore met the minimum earnings requirement.
Qualifying reasons
The third requirement for CT Paid Leave eligibility is that you are experiencing a serious health condition, are caring for a family member experiencing a serious health condition, or are experiencing another eligible leave reason. There are 6 qualifying reasons to apply for CT Paid Leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only employees who work in Connecticut can participate in CT Paid Leave. If an employer is paying unemployment insurance for an employee to the CT Department of Labor, that is evidence the employee works in Connecticut.
An employee who lives in Connecticut but works in another state is not eligible to participate in the CT Paid Leave program but may be eligible to participate in a paid leave program offered by the state where he or she works.
“Municipality” means any town, city, borough, school district, regional school district, taxing district, fire district, district department of health, probate district, housing authority, regional work force development board, regional emergency telecommunications center, tourism district, flood commission or authority established by special act or regional council of governments.
“Municipal employer” means any political subdivision of the state, including any town, city, borough, district, district department of health, school board, housing authority or other authority established by law, a private nonprofit corporation which has a valid contract with any town, city, borough or district to extinguish fires and to protect its inhabitants from loss by fire, and any person or persons designated by the municipal employer to act in its interest in dealing with municipal employees.
