Current Connecticut law only provides unpaid leave for certain employees who need to take time off from work to bond with a new child or to care for a seriously ill child, spouse or family member. However, many workers cannot afford to take extended unpaid leave, and some small employers are unable to provide paid leave benefits to their employees for an extended period of time.

A paid family leave insurance program would allow Connecticut employees to contribute to a state-administered insurance program that would help provide paid leave to working adults who need time off to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. This would allow small businesses that previously could not afford to offer paid leave to provide an extra benefit to their employees.

This document is intended to answer any questions small employers might have about the importance of establishing a paid family leave insurance program in Connecticut, and the effects this would have on small business owners and their workers.