FAMLI stands for Family and Medical Leave Insurance. This program will provide eligible Colorado workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave benefits when they face circumstances such as a serious health condition, bonding with a new child, or need to care for a loved one. The Colorado program will allow employers to opt out of the state program if offering an approved private plan.

Employees who have worked for 20 weeks or more the last fiscal year, including just one day a week, are eligible for the FAMLI program. Employees are eligible after they earned at minimum $2,500 over the duration of a year.

Benefits are being paid by both employees and employers throughout 2023 and will be eligible for payout beginning January 1st, 2024.

Within the first year of a child being birthed or adopted, both parents are entitled to take leave. If the employee or a family member has a serious health condition, they are entitled to leave as well. Military families are entitled to take leave for various reasons, such deployment. Additionally, individuals are eligible if they are seeking safety from various unsafe situations, such as domestic abuse.

Employers with 1–9 employees must start deducting 0.45% of employees’ wages as of January 1, 2023. The state receives premium payments every three months. Employers with 10 or more employees will be required to contribute an additional 0.45% to the state fund beginning in 2023, with payroll having to be paid in full to the amount of 0.9%. These deductions must be made per the state law.

FAMLI grants qualified employees 12 weeks of paid time off in the case of events that have a significant impact on their lives, such as childbirth or illness. Additional FAMLI benefits of up to 4 weeks may be available to covered employees in certain cases due to extenuating circumstances.

FAMLI is an approved leave of absence by the State of Colorado with the benefit of financial security. FMLA is a form of unpaid, job-protected leave that is mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers who want to use the State Plan must pay the same rates and there is no assurance that their claims will be processed quickly. While using a private plan, the state regulations are still followed, but there are other advantages because private plans have expertise in other states and have specialized claim processes that expedite employee payments. All of these advantages will help you save thousands of dollars while making the process less stressful and more efficient.

Under a sliding basis based on the Colorado weekly average wage, the FAMLI Division will reimburse employees for up to 90% of their income while they are on leave. Low-income individuals will be eligible for a higher proportion of salary compensation. The weekly benefit cap is $1,100.