Connecticut paternity leave gives new fathers up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected time off to bond with a newborn, newly adopted, or foster-placed child, with wage replacement running as high as $1,016.40 per week in 2026. Two laws do the work together: the Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave program pays the benefit, and the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CT FMLA) protects your job. You have to qualify for each one separately, but for most working fathers in the state, both apply.
Who Qualifies
Pay and job protection have different tests, and it’s worth checking both.
For the wage replacement benefit, you qualify as a covered employee if you earned at least $2,325 during the highest-earning quarter of your base period. The base period is the first four of the five most recently completed calendar quarters before you file. There is no tenure requirement here. Someone who started a new job two months ago can still collect benefits if their recent wage history clears the threshold. Self-employed Connecticut residents can access the program too, but only if they’ve voluntarily enrolled.1Justia. Connecticut Code 31-49e – Paid Family and Medical Leave Definitions
Job protection comes from the CT FMLA, which has its own rule: you must have worked for your current employer for at least three consecutive months immediately before requesting leave.2Justia. Connecticut Code 31-51kk – Family and Medical Leave Definitions There’s no minimum hours requirement, which makes qualifying much easier than under the federal FMLA. The law covers employers with one or more employees, so even the smallest businesses are included.3Connecticut Department of Labor. Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act FAQs It does not cover municipalities, local and regional boards of education, or nonpublic elementary and secondary schools. If you work for one of those excluded employers, you may still be covered by federal FMLA if you meet its separate thresholds.
When CT FMLA applies, your employer must reinstate you to the same position, or to an equivalent one if the original no longer exists, and cannot interfere with, retaliate against, or discriminate against you for taking leave.4Connecticut Department of Labor. Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act
How This Interacts With Federal FMLA
If you qualify for both state and federal FMLA, the two run concurrently. You get a combined total of 12 weeks of job-protected bonding leave, not 24.5Connecticut Paid Leave. CT Paid Leave and FMLA The federal law is stricter, requiring 50 employees within 75 miles, 12 months of employment, and 1,250 hours worked.6U.S. Department of Labor. Family and Medical Leave Act Many Connecticut fathers who don’t clear those federal thresholds still get job protection under state law after three months.
How Much You Get Paid in 2026
Your weekly benefit is calculated against the Connecticut minimum wage, which rose to $16.94 per hour on January 1, 2026.7State of Connecticut. Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut’s Minimum Wage Will Increase to $16.94 on January 1, 2026 The formula has two tiers:
- If your base weekly earnings are at or below $677.60 (40 times the minimum wage), you receive 95% of those earnings.
- If you earn more than $677.60 per week, you receive 95% of the first $677.60 plus 60% of everything above that.
The maximum weekly benefit is capped at 60 times the minimum wage, which comes to $1,016.40 in 2026.8Connecticut Paid Leave. Before You Apply You’d need base weekly earnings of roughly $1,277 (about $66,400 a year) to hit that ceiling. The 95%/60% tiers and the cap are set by statute, so the maximum rises automatically whenever the minimum wage does.9Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code 31-49g – Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority Established
Your “base weekly earnings” aren’t just your current paycheck. The program adds up your wages during the two highest-earning quarters of your base period, divides by 26, and rounds down to the next whole dollar.1Justia. Connecticut Code 31-49e – Paid Family and Medical Leave Definitions There’s no waiting period. Benefits start on the first day of covered leave.
How Long You Can Take and How You Can Split It
The paid program provides up to 12 weeks of wage replacement in any 12-month period for bonding after birth, adoption, or foster placement, and the time has to be used within the first year after the child arrives.9Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code 31-49g – Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority Established The CT FMLA supplies job protection for the same 12 weeks. The two run together; you do not get paid leave followed by a separate stretch of unpaid protected leave.
Taking the 12 weeks as a single continuous block is the simplest approach. If you’d rather spread it out, taking every Friday off or working reduced hours, you can request an intermittent or reduced-schedule arrangement, but only your employer can approve it.10Connecticut Paid Leave. I Am Starting or Expanding My Family If they refuse, your only option is consecutive weeks.
How to Apply
Give your employer at least 30 days’ advance notice if the leave is foreseeable, such as a known due date or a scheduled adoption placement. If the child arrives early or plans change, notify your employer as soon as you reasonably can.11Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies 31-51rr-33 – Employee Notice Requirements for Foreseeable FMLA Leave
File the benefit claim through the CT Paid Leave online portal at ctpaidleave.org. You’ll need your Social Security number, your employer’s contact information, and the date of birth or placement (or the expected date if the child hasn’t arrived yet).12Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. Frequently Asked Questions You can start a claim before you have a firm start date and update it later. If you’d rather not file online, Aflac (the program’s claims administrator) can be reached at 877-499-8606.
Supporting documentation typically includes proof of the qualifying event, such as a birth certificate, adoption decree, or foster care placement records. An employment verification form may also be required. Payments go out by direct deposit or prepaid debit card.
Using PTO Alongside Paid Leave
Your employer can require you to use accrued paid time off (vacation, sick leave, personal days) at the same time you’re collecting CT Paid Leave benefits, or may let you choose whether to layer PTO on top. Either way, your combined compensation cannot exceed your regular rate of pay. There’s a floor: even if concurrent PTO use is required, your employer must let you keep at least two weeks of accrued PTO in reserve.5Connecticut Paid Leave. CT Paid Leave and FMLA
Taxes on Your Benefits
Bonding leave benefits count as taxable federal income under Section 61 of the Internal Revenue Code, so you’ll owe federal income tax on what you receive. The payments are not subject to Social Security, Medicare, or federal unemployment tax, so the total bite is smaller than it would be on regular wages.13Internal Revenue Service. Revenue Ruling 2025-4
Aflac issues a Form 1099-G to anyone who received $600 or more in benefits during the tax year.14Connecticut Paid Leave. CT Paid Leave Federal income tax is not withheld automatically. If you want withholding, submit a W-4; otherwise, set money aside or adjust your estimated payments.
If Your Employer Uses a Private Plan
Some employers opt out of the state program with a private plan that must provide the same or better benefits and be approved by the CT Paid Leave Authority.15Connecticut Paid Leave. Private Plans Approvals last three years, and employees vote on renewals or material changes. If your company runs a private plan, you’ll file through its insurance carrier instead of the state portal. Your rights and minimum benefits stay the same, but the process differs. Check with HR to find out which system your employer uses.
Retaliation Is Illegal
It’s against the law for a Connecticut employer to fire, demote, discipline, or otherwise retaliate against you for filing a paid leave claim or requesting CT FMLA time.16Connecticut Paid Leave. Employers That protection covers the application itself, not just the leave. Employers also cannot interfere with your right to reinstatement when you return.4Connecticut Department of Labor. Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act If your employer takes adverse action after you request or take leave, you can file a complaint with the Connecticut Department of Labor.