THE CONNECTICUT FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT and CT PAID LEAVE APPEALS

The Connecticut Family & Medical Leave Act and CT Paid Leave Appeals

CT Family and Medical Leave (CTFMLA) and CT Paid Leave (CTPL) are two separate laws to help eligible workers who need to take leave from their job to care for a loved one or for their own medical reasons. The CT Family and Medical Leave Act provides eligible employees with job-protected leave, and the CT Paid Leave Act provides eligible workers with income replacement.

Depending on the situation, one or both of these laws may apply. That means that workers may file for both CT Family & Medical Leave and for CT Paid Leave—each law has its own application process and requirements.

The Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) oversees the CT Family & Medical Leave law and complaints.

Did you receive Paid Family & Medical Leave income? You will receive a 1099-G form indicating that income in Box 1.
Have questions? Visit our 1099 page.

Overview: CT Family and Medical Leave

For CT Family and Medical Leave (i.e., to receive job protection for a leave),

The employee must notify their employer of their need for leave and their employer will provide them with the notices and forms to fill out.
The employee must complete the forms and return to their employer.

Employees who believe their employer is not following the CT Family and Medical Leave law may file a complaint here.

Overview: Connecticut Paid Leave

The CT Paid Leave Program provides eligible workers with income replacement. The CT Paid Leave Authority takes applications for the public CT Paid Leave Program. Employers may instead offer private plans if those plans are approved by the Authority.

CTDOL handles appeals for the public CTPL Program and private plan employers. Workers who have been denied paid leave may file an appeal here.

Connecticut Family & Medical Leave Act

You can watch our Informational webinar and review our PowerPoint slideshow for more detailed information about the Connecticut Family & Medical Leave Act.

FAQs
Overview
Eligibility
Forms
Resources
Laws and Regulation
Complaints

OVERVIEW: THE CT FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

Use of these forms is optional. Employers may create their own forms; they must contain the information required by the regulations.

An eligible employee may take CTFMLA leave for any of the following reasons:

Birth of a child and care for the child within the first year after birth;
The placement of a child for adoption or foster care and care for the child;
Care for a family member with a serious health condition;
Because of an employee’s own serious health condition;
To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor;
To address qualifying exigencies arising from a spouse, son, daughter or parent’s active-duty service in the armed forces; and
To care for a spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin with a serious injury or illness incurred on active duty in the armed forces.

Once an employee notifies his or her employer that an absence is for a CTFMLA qualifying reason, the employer must timely notify the employee of his or her eligibility for CTFMLA leave, provide the employee with a notice of rights and responsibilities and begin the approval process, which may include asking the employee to complete a medical certification form.

An employee is entitled to be reinstated to the employee’s same position or, if the same position is no longer available, to an equivalent position upon returning from CTFMLA leave. An employee is not entitled to reinstatement if the employee has exhausted his or her CTFMLA leave entitlement, the employment relationship would have ended regardless of the employee’s taking CTFMLA leave, or the employee obtains CT FMLA fraudulently.

Employers are prohibited from interfering with, or retaliating or discriminating against, an employee for requesting or taking CTFMLA leave.

CT FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE FORMS

Use of these forms is optional. Employers may create their own forms; they must contain the information required by the regulations.

RESOURCES

Interpretive Guidance: Handling the Transition to the New Changes in the CTFMLA Law, Effective on January 1, 2022, When an Employee Has an Already Approved CTFMLA Leave

CT FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE LAW AND REGULATIONS

CT FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE COMPLAINTS

If you believe that your CT Family and Medical Leave rights have been violated, you can either file a complaint directly in Superior Court or with the Connecticut Department of Labor.

To file a CTFMLA complaint with the Connecticut Department of Labor, you should complete and submit the applicable complaint form.

CTFMLA Complaint Form (Please use your existing ct.gov username and password if you have one. If you experience difficulties, try resetting your password before creating a new account.)

Video Guide

Attention to filers and respondents of CTFMLA complaints:

If you add or remove an attorney or representative, please notify us immediately at DOL.CTFMLA@ct.gov or (860) 263-6400 to ensure timely receipt of all communications, which may have time-sensitive deadlines.

If you are unable to find the information you need on this page, you can contact the CTDOL Legal Division at DOL.CTFMLA@ct.gov.

The information set forth on, and linked through, this website is designed to provide a service to the employers and employees of this state. It does not constitute legal advice. Although the Department of Labor makes every effort to provide quality information, it makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein.

CT PAID LEAVE APPEALS

Employees who have been denied compensation under the CT Paid Leave Insurance Program, or any person who has been assessed a penalty by the CT Paid Leave Authority, may file an appeal with the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Appeals Division. You may only file an appeal with CTDOL if you have already applied for CT Paid Leave benefits and received a final denial decision.

The Leave Complaint and Appeals portal linked below is the fastest way to file an appeal, check the status of your appeal, receive a decision from the Appeals Division, and get information about your appeal.

If you do not have internet access or need assistance filing an appeal, please contact the CTDOL Appeals Division at 38 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Telephone: (860) 263-6970 Fax: (860) 706-5767

For questions regarding a claim for CTPL compensation or to submit a document in a pending claim, please contact the CT Paid Leave Authority. Telephone: (877)499-8606. Fax: (888)485-0973.

FAQs

Helpful Links

Video Guide

CT Paid Leave Law and Appeal Procedures

FILE A CTDOL LEAVE COMPLAINT OR CT PAID LEAVE APPEAL

Note: If you have been denied unemployment benefits, file an appeal here. Do not use the Leave Complaint and Appeals portal as it could slow down your unemployment appeal.

Clicking on the following links will take you to a secure portal hosted by ct.gov. (Please use your existing ct.gov username and password if you have one. If you experience difficulties, try resetting your password before creating a new account.)

For your security:

Log out of the CTDOL leave and complaint and appeals portal, don't just close the window.
Do not share your portal username or password with anyone.
Always login to the portal from this page or the log in page linked above.
Do not click on links you receive by email unless you are certain they are from CTDOL.
CTDOL will never text you a link.

If you think your account has been compromised, contact the CTDOL Appeals Division at 38 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Telephone: (860) 263-6970 Fax: (860) 706-5767.

Please note that the guidance above is not legal advice, it’s meant to provide information to employees and employers about the CT Family and Medical Leave law.

CTDOL makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein. If a complaint is filed in court, that court may have a different interpretation.

ConnecticutDepartment of Labor