Deadline looms for employers to register payroll deductions

Hartford (AP) — The head of Connecticut's fledgling paid family and medical program is urging employers to register with the CT Paid Leave Authority as soon as possible, essentially informing state officials they've begun taking the state-mandated deductions from their employees' paychecks to help fund the initiative.

Andrea Barton Reeves, the authority's CEO, said about 41,000 of the state's estimated 100,000 employers, as of Wednesday, had registered to withhold the money.

“We need to know that they're aware of their obligation to withhold that one half of 1% from employee wages,” money that's eventually due to the state at the end of April, said Reeves. “If they fail to withhold, they can't go back to their employees and get that money."

She said that means the authority will be “looking directly to the employer for the funds that are owed to the trust fund” and not the worker. That's because state law limits how much employers can take from an employee's paycheck.

While employers originally had until Feb. 1 to register, Reeves told The Associated Press it's OK if they get it done before March 1. She noted there are webinars on the authority's website to help walk employers through the process.

Under the new program, qualified employees can begin receiving benefits on Jan. 1, 2022. They include up to 12 weeks of replacement wages for workers who take extended time off for personal illness, or to care for a family member or loved one.