Maternity leave in Connecticut comes from two separate programs that work together: the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act protects your job, and the Connecticut Paid Leave program replaces part of your wages. If you’ve worked for your employer for at least three months, you can take up to 12 weeks off for the birth of a child. If you’ve earned at least $2,325 in a single quarter recently, you can also collect paid benefits during that time — up to $1,016.40 per week in 2026.1Connecticut Paid Leave. Before You Apply
How Much Job-Protected Time You Get
The Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CT FMLA) guarantees up to 12 workweeks of leave in any 12-month period for the birth of a child, placement for adoption or foster care, or care of a family member with a serious health condition. If a serious health condition causes incapacitation during pregnancy, you can take up to two additional weeks on top of the standard 12.2Justia. Connecticut Code 31-51ll – Family and Medical Leave Entitlement A pregnancy involving complications can qualify you for up to 14 weeks of protected leave.
To be eligible, you need three consecutive months of employment with your current employer. There is no minimum hours requirement, so part-time workers are covered. The law applies to any private-sector employer with one or more employees, which is far broader than federal FMLA’s 50-employee threshold.3Justia. Connecticut Code 31-51kk – Family and Medical Leave Definitions Municipalities, local and regional boards of education, and nonpublic elementary or secondary schools are excluded, though separate rules may apply to workers there.
When you come back, your employer must restore you to your original position. If that role no longer exists, you’re entitled to an equivalent position with the same pay, benefits, and working conditions.4Justia. Connecticut Code 31-51nn – Restoration of Employee to Position
How Much You’ll Be Paid
Paid benefits come through the Connecticut Paid Leave program, funded entirely by a 0.5% employee payroll deduction.5Justia. Connecticut Code 31-49h – Implementation of Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Employers don’t pay in. If you’ve been receiving a Connecticut paycheck, you’ve been contributing.
Your benefit is tied to the state minimum wage, which rose to $16.94 per hour on January 1, 2026. First, your average weekly wage is calculated by adding your two highest-earning quarters in the base period, dividing by 26, and rounding down. Then a two-tier formula applies:
- If your average weekly wage is at or below $677.60 (40 times the minimum wage), you receive 95% of it.
- If it’s above $677.60, you receive 95% of the first $677.60 plus 60% of the amount above that threshold.
The weekly benefit caps at $1,016.40 for 2026, which is 60 times the minimum wage.1Connecticut Paid Leave. Before You Apply Someone earning about $40,000 a year would get roughly $698 per week. Someone earning $80,000 or more would hit the cap.
Who Qualifies for the Paid Benefit
Job protection and paid benefits have different eligibility tests, and it’s possible to qualify for one but not the other. For paid benefits, you must have earned at least $2,325 in your highest-earning quarter within the base period — the first four of the five most recently completed calendar quarters.6Justia. Connecticut Code 31-49e – Paid Family and Medical Leave Definitions Those earnings must come from employers who contribute to the state’s paid leave trust fund.
How State and Federal FMLA Stack
If your employer has 50 or more employees, you’re likely covered by both CT FMLA and federal FMLA. For maternity leave, the two almost always run at the same time, not back-to-back.7State of Connecticut. FMLA FAQs You do not get 12 state weeks followed by 12 federal weeks for the same childbirth.
The difference matters in edge cases. Federal FMLA requires 12 months of employment and 1,250 hours worked in the past year; CT FMLA requires only three months. A newer employee may qualify under state law but not federal.
Health Insurance While You’re Out
If your employer is covered by federal FMLA, your group health plan continues on the same terms as if you never left. The employer keeps paying its share, and you keep paying yours. Medical, dental, vision, and mental health coverage all continue for you and any dependents already enrolled.8eCFR. 29 CFR 825.209 – Maintenance of Employee Benefits
The practical question is how you pay your share when no paycheck is coming in. Some employers bill you monthly, some let you catch up when you return, some set up advance payroll deductions. Ask HR before your leave starts so you don’t lose coverage by accident.
Stacking Paid Leave With Short-Term Disability and PTO
If your employer offers short-term disability insurance, you can collect it at the same time as CT Paid Leave, but the combined total cannot exceed your regular wages.9CT Paid Leave Authority. Frequently Asked Questions If both would pay 60% of your salary, one gets reduced. Non-income benefits like health, long-term care, and life insurance don’t count toward that cap.
There’s also a timing lever worth knowing about. The date your paid leave benefits start doesn’t have to match the date your leave begins. If you’re using employer PTO or vacation for the first week or two, you can set your CT Paid Leave start date later and stretch out your total paid time away from work.1Connecticut Paid Leave. Before You Apply
Whether Paid Leave Benefits Are Taxable
Under IRS Revenue Ruling 2025-4, paid leave benefits for your own serious health condition, including pregnancy and childbirth, are not taxable income. Benefits for bonding leave are taxable.9CT Paid Leave Authority. Frequently Asked Questions
In practice, the weeks right after delivery are typically classified as recovery from a serious health condition and aren’t taxed. The remaining weeks are bonding leave and are taxed. The CT Paid Leave Authority’s claims administrator issues 1099-G forms for the taxable portion. You can submit a W-4 directly to the administrator if you want federal taxes withheld from bonding payments; don’t submit one for the recovery portion.
How to Apply
You have two separate obligations: telling your employer, which protects your job, and filing with the CT Paid Leave Authority, which gets you paid.
Notify Your Employer
For a planned due date, give your employer at least 30 days’ advance notice. If the birth comes early or plans change, notify them as soon as you reasonably can. If you don’t give the required notice and your employer asks why, you need to explain.10Legal Information Institute. Connecticut Agencies Regulations 31-51rr-33 – Employee Notice Requirements
File Your Paid Leave Claim
File through the CT Paid Leave online portal or by phone. You’ll need identity verification, employment verification, and medical documentation from your healthcare provider confirming the pregnancy or birth.11Connecticut Paid Leave. Application Document Checklist Digital uploads process faster than mail.
Expect a decision within about five business days after you submit everything.12Connecticut Paid Leave. Apply for Benefits Approved payments come weekly by direct deposit or state-issued debit card.
If Your Claim Is Denied
You have 21 calendar days from the date of a final denial to file an appeal. Mailed appeals must be postmarked within that window.13Connecticut Department of Labor. CT Paid Leave Appeals FAQs Appeals go through the Connecticut Department of Labor, not the Paid Leave Authority. File online through the Leave Complaint and Appeal Portal or call (860) 263-6970 for a paper form. You don’t need an attorney.
One trap: if you’ve already asked the CT Paid Leave Authority to reconsider your denial, don’t file an appeal at the same time. The Department of Labor can’t process an appeal while a reconsideration is still pending. Wait for the reconsideration decision, then appeal if you still need to.
Protection Against Retaliation
Connecticut law prohibits employers from firing, demoting, or penalizing you for taking FMLA leave. That includes counting leave days against a “no-fault” attendance policy or using leave as a negative factor in promotion decisions.14Connecticut eRegulations. Connecticut Agencies Regulations 31-51qq-25 – Prohibited Acts
Complaints go to the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Wage and Workplace Standards Division, though processing currently runs 8 to 10 months.15State of Connecticut. Wage and Workplace Standards Complaint Forms Instructions For wrongful termination specifically, that division does not investigate; you may need to go through the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities or consult an employment attorney.
If You’re a Public Employee, School Worker, or Self-Employed
Coverage gets more complicated outside standard private-sector jobs.
Municipal employees aren’t automatically covered by CT Paid Leave. They’re included only if their collective bargaining unit negotiates for it, and once that happens, all employees at that municipality — union and non-union — become covered.16Connecticut Paid Leave. Municipality or School If you work for a Connecticut town or city, ask HR rather than assume.
Public and nonpublic school employees have a carve-out tied to certification. As of October 1, 2025, employees whose positions require certification under Chapter 166 of the Connecticut General Statutes — primarily teachers and administrators — are excluded. Non-certified staff like custodians, cafeteria workers, and office employees are covered.16Connecticut Paid Leave. Municipality or School
Self-employed workers and sole proprietors can opt in voluntarily, but the commitment is a minimum of three years, and you pay the 0.5% contribution on your self-employment income for the full period. Income changes must be reported to the CT Paid Leave Authority.17Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. Sole Proprietor and Self-Employed Fact Sheet