CONNECTICUT’S PAID LEAVE PROGRAM BENEFITS CHOSEN FAMILY
Includes individuals whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of family relationships
Hartford CT — June is Pride Month and the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority (CTPL) reminded Connecticut’s workers that paid leave benefits are available for workers caring for a family member, related either by blood or affinity. Under Connecticut’s law, a family member means a spouse, sibling, daughter or son, grandparent, grandchild or parent; or an individual related to the employee by blood or affinity, and whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships.
“Connecticut’s statute recognizes that many families do not fit the traditional definition,” said Erin Choquette, CTPL CEO. “For some, particularly in the LGBTQI+ community, chosen family are loved ones people consider family but to whom they may not have a legal or biological relationship, and whose health and wellbeing is critically important to the worker. Thankfully, our law helps these diverse caregiving relationships better support workers and meet the needs of LGBTQI+ individuals.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 82.2 percent of American households do not fit the traditional nuclear family structure and often, LGBTQI+ people face discrimination and rejection by their families of origin. The data from the 2022 CAP’s survey found that 34 percent of LGBTQI+ adults, including 49 percent of transgender or nonbinary adults and 37 percent of LGBTQI+ people of color, reported moving away from their family in order to avoid experiencing discrimination because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status.
According to the same data, LGBTQI+ people were twice as likely as non-LGBTQI+ people to report that if they had to take time off work for a health-related need they would rely on chosen family members. Thirty-five percent of transgender adults and 30 percent of LGBTQI+ people of color reported the same. More than half of LGBTQI+ adults (51 percent) — compared with more than 1 in 3 non-LGBTQI+ adults (36 percent) — reported that they have called on chosen family to support them when they had a health-related need. Similarly, nearly half of non-LGBTQI+ people (46 percent) say they have been called on by chosen family to provide support for a health-related need, while LGBTQI+ people were more likely to report the experience at even higher rates (58 percent).
Paid leave benefits can also be used by workers and their families to address mental health issues, for example, by providing income replacement for time taken to attend counseling. “When a child comes out, however they come out, the whole family is on a journey, and therefore the whole family needs to be supported,” said Robin McHaelen, MSW, nationally known LGBTQI+ youth advocate and consultant, and recent Gubernatorial Appointee to the CT Hate Crimes Commission. “That starts with creating a space for parents or caregivers and people who love this child, to have the feelings they’re having. I think you have to start where they are, but you also have to start with the perspective that they can learn to be their child’s advocate and ally rather than their first bully.”
To apply for paid leave online, workers will first need to create an account with CT Paid Leave by visiting www.ctpaidleave.org. The applicant can then submit their claim online. Assistance is also available by calling (877) 499–8606. Hours of operation for a live representative are 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.
