Connecticut Paid Leave Laws 2026
Last updated: · Source: Connecticut labor department
Connecticut · Leave Laws 2026
Federal FMLA
Applies (50+ employees)
State Leave Law
Connecticut Paid Leave
State Employer Threshold
1+
Paid Family Leave
Connecticut Paid Leave — up to $1,016/wk
Bereavement Leave
No mandatory law
FMLA in Connecticut: Federal Leave Protections
Federal FMLA applies to every qualifying employee in Connecticut the same way it applies nationwide: up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for employees who've worked 12+ months and at least 1,250 hours for an employer with 50+ employees within 75 miles.
Connecticut Paid Leave (CT PFL): Benefits & Eligibility
Connecticut's Connecticut Paid Leave (CT PFL) extends job-protected leave to more workers than federal FMLA alone: it applies to employers with as few as 1 employees, versus the federal threshold of 50. Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of leave.
Eligibility test: Job protection actually comes from a separate CT FMLA statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 31-51kk–31-51qq), not the Connecticut Paid Leave wage program: 3 months employed, no minimum-hours requirement, at employers with 1+ employees. This is different from federal FMLA's 12-month + 1,250-hour test — don't assume the federal rule applies here.
CT Paid Leave Benefits: How Much You Get Paid
Connecticut Paid Leave pays eligible workers approximately 95% of their wages, up to $1,016/week, for up to 12 weeks . The program has been in effect since 2022-01-01.
95% of wages up to 40x the CT minimum wage; 60% of wages above that threshold, up to the weekly cap.
| Weeks available | 12 |
| Wage replacement | 95% (tiered) |
| Max weekly benefit | $1,016 |
| Covers bonding with a new child | Yes |
| Covers caring for a family member | Yes |
| Covers military family leave | Yes |
Apply through the official CT PFL site ↗ Estimate your weekly benefit →
Connecticut Bereavement Leave: What CT Law Requires
Connecticut has no law requiring employers to provide bereavement leave. Most employers offer 3–5 days as a matter of policy, not legal obligation — check your employee handbook for your specific employer's bereavement policy.
How CT Paid Leave and FMLA Work Together
When a leave qualifies under both federal FMLA and Connecticut Paid Leave, the two run concurrently — counting against both entitlements at the same time — and the employee gets whichever protection is more generous on each specific point (employer size, weeks, covered relationships).
Frequently Asked Questions
CT Paid Leave pays 95% of your wages up to a maximum of $1,016 per week for up to 12 weeks. The benefit is funded through employee payroll contributions of 0.5% of wages.
Yes. Aflac is the third-party administrator for Connecticut Paid Leave. You file claims through Aflac's CT Paid Leave portal at ctpaidleave.org, not through the state labor department directly.