Colorado pays $311 million to workers under new paid-leave program

Colorado’s new statewide paid-leave program doled out more than $311 million in compensation to tens of thousands of workers in its first six months, the state Department of Labor and Employment said Monday.

More than 62,000 workers have had their pay partially replaced under the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (or FAMLI) program. The program seeks to compensate people who have to leave work for a covered personal issue, including to care for a new baby or to deal with a serious health condition.

The average payment from the program was just over $915, according to data released by the state.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve done to bring Colorado workers the benefits they voted for,” Tracy Marshall, FAMLI’s director, said in a statement Monday. “We’re on solid financial footing for the future, thanks to all the Colorado employers and workers who stepped up to build this insurance fund a year and a half ago.”

The portal to file claims opened in November, though the program didn’t start paying money until this year.

The program is funded partially by premiums split between employers and employees, totaling 0.9% of the employee’s wages, and the money for approved claims is paid out by the state. Payments from the program are calculated using a sliding scale that’s based on a worker’s recent average weekly wage.

The program was created in 2020 after Colorado voters approved Proposition 118. Eligible workers include those who take time off after having or adopting a child; to care for their own serious medical condition or for that of a family member; to make arrangements for a military deployment; or to address impacts or safety needs from a sexual assault or domestic violence incident.

Most workers can receive compensation for up to 12 weeks, though the timeline extends to 16 weeks for birth or pregnancy complications.

In January, Marshall said the program expected to receive more than 67,000 claims by June 30, which is the end of the state’s fiscal year. More than 38,000 of the claims filed thus far were for a person’s own medical condition; nearly 33,000 were to bond with a new child, according to the new data.