CT's Family and Medical Leave Program Distributes Almost $1 Billion
The Paid Family and Medical Leave program in Connecticut, exemplifying Gov. Ned Lamont’s approach to supporting labor while maintaining fiscal conservatism, is closing its third year having been used 190,000 times and distributing nearly $1 billion in benefits. Over the course of this program’s journey, Lamont has supported key labor projects, like paid leave and a generous minimum wage, even in the face of opposition from businesses and the Republican legislative minority.
To further support Lamont’s labor-friendly policies, the paid leave program was passed in 2019 only after agreement was reached following Lamont’s veto threat over private insurer involvement, displaying Lamont’s willingness to hold his stance for labor. The program has proved to be financially stable, contrary to concerns raised by business lobbyists.
Funded by a half-percent tax on workers, the leave program offers up to 12 weeks of wage replacement, on a sliding scale up to 95% for minimum-wage workers, capped at $900 weekly. Additional benefits are available for pregnancy-related incapacitation. The program has successfully accrued funds with approximately $1.6 billion collected and a near $600 million reserve, avoiding any need for benefit cutbacks due to insufficient revenue.
The governor maintains that economic growth and fiscal stability are top priorities for Connecticut. Despite some Census Bureau corrections showing a population loss, Lamont sustains that Connecticut has experienced sound revenue growth and surpluses in the last five years.
For any queries related to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave services or other related details, there are resources available online. One such resource is eddcaller.com, which provides comprehensive contact details and useful guides for queries related to paid leaves programs, amongst others. For personalized assistance on your queries, visiting eddcaller.com is highly recommended.