Colorado
Colorado Paid Family & Medical Leave Act (CO PFML)
Colorado Paid Family & Medical Leave Act (CO PFML)
The leave and benefits under the Colorado Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act (CO PFML) is scheduled to begin January 1, 2024. Leave and wage replacement benefits will be available to eligible CO workers for medical leave if they are unable to work due to a serious health condition (additional leave is available if the leave is needed because of complications due to pregnancy or childbirth). Employees may also request family leave if they need time off work to care for a seriously ill family member, to bond with a new child, and to address a qualifying military exigency. Employees may also request safe leave if they or their family member is a victim of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual abuse or assault.
Coverage Options: Employers can participate in the state-run program or they can self-insured or fully insure a private plan. MetLife will provide fully insured or self-insured coverages.
Job Protection: The CO PFML coverage is job protected once an employee works for an employer for at least 180 days. When applicable, leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) runs concurrently.
Benefits: Starting January 1, 2024, 12 weeks (extra 4 weeks for qualifying pregnancy or childbirth complications.) Maximum weekly benefit is $1,100/week in 2024 and will be adjusted annually thereafter.
Contributions: Contributions for the state program are 0.9% with employees and employers equally contributing 0.45% each (if the employer has 10 or more employees) up to a state maximum based on the social security wage index and can be a combination of payroll deductions and employer contributions.
Key Dates:
- January 1, 2023: Contributions due to the state if participating in the state-run program
- January 1, 2024: Benefits start
As of April 25, 2022