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Admira Makas

Director and SME

Paid Family and Medical Leave

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June 28, 2023

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  • Unlike FMLA, PFML is paid leave for workers for their own medical issues, bonding with a new child, or time to care for a family member
  • Applies to a larger number of employers than FMLA
  • Funded through employee and employer taxes
  • Most frequently overseen by a state’s DOL
  • Passed by individual states (12 states and D.C.); not federally regulated currently
  • Program details vary state to state (ex. No. of weeks available, tax rates, weekly benefit amount, etc.)
  • Job protections vary state to state
  • Program administration models vary state to state

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  • Only 23% of workers in private sector have paid leave
  • 1-in-3 households provide care for an adult loved one while trying to manage a full-time job
  • 1-in-3 adults under 65 has at least one chronic health condition
  • Workers and their families lose $22.5B in wages each year due to lack of paid family and medical leave

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Enable healthier outcomes for families

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COMBINED APPROACH

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JURISDICTION

WHAT CAN BE APPEALED

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RIDE SHARE WORKERS

TRAVELING WORKERS

CONSTITUTIONALITY

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What’s unique in Colorado?

In 2019, Colorado assembled the FAMLI Task Force to study PFML programs and make recommendations to the legislature for a program in the state

FAMLI Task Force delivered recommendations in January 2020 which led to bill drafting; bill failed due to lack of consensus.

Proposed bill (largely based on Task Force recommendations) was placed on the ballot as a ballot initiative in November 2020; initiative passed

Challenged on state constitutionality grounds and in July 2022 survived the legal challenge

Unique program features:

  • Most expansive definition of “family member”
  • Local government entities are allowed to opt out of the program (most have).
  • However, employees working for exempted employers can sign up directly, pay their own premiums, and collect benefits
  • First state to do a 50/50 shared cost model between employers and employees
  • Minimum monetary eligibility is the same as the UI program ($2,500).

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Thank You