|
|
Welcome to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's newsletter for Colorado’s new paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. We hope this newsletter provides you with valuable information and resources as we begin implementing the FAMLI program, which will start providing benefits in January 2024. We value your feedback and input! If you have any questions or content you would like to see, please share that with us at cdle_famli_info@state.co.us.
|
|
 August Webinar Recording: Private Plans Part 1
This month’s webinar is the first in a two-part series covering Private Plans. The recording is now available on our website and YouTube Channel. We recognize that employers across the state are eager to shop for equivalent or greater private plans or consider self-insurance options. In this session, the FAMLI team reviews where we’re at in the rulemaking process, dives into the differences between securing an approved private plan, establishing self-insurance and the process to vote to opt out for local government employers. We will dive deeper into our proposed private plan rules during our next live webinar in September.
|
|
 Join Our Next Live Webinar and Open Forum
Part 2 of our webinar series on Private Plans will take place on Tuesday, September 27th at 11 a.m. and will include a live question and answer session. Registration is required. Please click here to register. A recording of the webinar will be published to our website following the session. Please use this form to submit questions ahead of the next webinar so we can address trending topics.
|
|
FAMLI Division Regulatory Update
After considering nearly 300 written and oral comments received on specific provisions of our benefits rules, we have revised and adopted 7 CCR 1107-3 Benefits and Employer Participation Requirements. The adopted rules will have an effective date of October 15, 2022, and a complete copy is now published on our rules page. Notable changes from the proposed version of the rules include but are not limited to:
- When using leave to “care for a new child,” benefits are limited to individuals standing in loco parentis to the child (previously listed as “legal parents.”)
- Deadlines for submitting an application for FAMLI benefits when the need for leave is unforeseeable have been extended to 30 days after the leave has begun (previously listed as seven days.)
- While formal appeal rights have been limited to the claimant applying for benefits, additional provisions were added to allow employers to file a grievance with the Division if it has a good-faith belief, supported by evidence, that the Division has granted FAMLI benefits to a claimant in an amount, duration or frequency beyond what the claimant is entitled or in a way that unduly disrupts the employer’s operations.
- Employers will now have an opportunity to request limited information regarding the amount and reason for leave where such information is strictly necessary for benefits coordination.
With the benefits rules now adopted, we anticipate filing our proposed private plan rules very soon. Once filed, our proposed rules will be published to our website, and the formal public comment period will open. We encourage you to submit your public comments by filling out this form or by participating in future public hearings. Notices of all public hearings will be posted on our rules page where you can also read all adopted and proposed rules and listen to past public hearings.
|
|
 Download the Local Government Guide!
Our Local Government Guide for public employers is now available to download from our website here. The 20-page guide covers the basics of the program, the unique options for local government participation as outlined by the FAMLI statute, how each option will impact local government employees and valuable research to consider when making an informed decision on whether to conduct a vote to opt out. We’ve also published a new break room poster and an employee written notification template local government employers can use to inform their staff about their options to participate in FAMLI on our Local Governments page.
|
|
 Statewide Regional Town Halls
Visit the FAMLI team and get your questions answered in-person at one of our regional town halls. We’re hitting the road in our commitment to prepare employers across the state before premium collections begin in January. Please register for your desired region here.
|
|
 Upcoming Town Halls
- Lamar: September 7, 2022, 12 - 1 p.m., Lamar Community CenterLa
- Junta: September 7, 2022, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., La Junta Senior Center
- Pueblo: September 8, 2022, 12 - 1 p.m., Pueblo Workforce Center
- Colorado Springs: September 8, 2022, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Pikes Peak Workforce Center
- Denver: September 14, 2022 5:30-6:30 p.m. CDLE Downtown Office (633 17th Street)
- Fort Collins: September 15, 2022 12 - 1 p.m. Larimer County Courthouse
|
|
 Get Ready to Register with My FAMLI+ Employer
Our product development team is hard at work building a user-friendly online employer services portal that serves Colorado employers, third party administrators and local government entities. My FAMLI+ Employer will operate similarly to My UI Employer, allowing employers to report wage data, remit premium payments, apply for exemption with a private plan and upload letters of declination votes. We’ll be deploying My FAMLI+ Employer later this year in a phased approach, so we can provide real time support throughout the registration process. Employers will be invited to register in small groups before the system is live to all employers starting in January 2023.
If you are interested in being invited to register early with My FAMLI+ Employer this fall, please fill out this form and tell us if you are a local government employer, third party administrator, business owner or company administrator. All employers will be required to register regardless of participation in the program before the first premium payments and wage reports are due at the end of Q1 2023.
|
|
 Share Your Story With Us!
We want to hear your personal stories. Please tell us how FAMLI could have or will help you. We are looking for stories from both individuals and employers, and may feature your experience in an upcoming newsletter or across social media!
“As an employer, I want to be able to pay my employees if they are in need of leave, including maternity or paternity leave. Currently, that would be very taxing for me to do, particularly paternity leave because the short term insurance policies I carry wouldn't cover it. (FAMLI) could ensure that I can afford to employ temp staff to cover for (permanent employees) out on leave while also ensuring that my cherished employee is getting income.” – Meggin
“I was a solo-business owner when I had both of my babies. I almost died three times when I was pregnant and after the birth of my second child. I had to close my successful business for my maternity leave … Having help with income during this time would have made a huge difference.” – Anonymous
“When I was pregnant … (my employer offered) FMLA coverage, but my leave was completely unpaid. At 7 months pregnant … I was hit by another vehicle. I received a monetary settlement from the at-fault party's insurance. It was only because of that settlement that I was able to take my "full" six weeks of maternity leave.”
– Kianna
|
|
 Employer Feedback Needed for Family Leave Program
We are interested in learning more about your business as you prepare for Colorado’s paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. Insights from this survey will help us create an intuitive experience for employers as they register, contribute, report wages and opt out of the FAMLI program, ultimately helping countless people across the state of Colorado. This survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Your responses are strictly confidential, and we highly value your input.
|
|
 Update Your Email Preferences
We recently transitioned to a new email delivery platform that will allow us to more efficiently target our email communications, but we need your help! Please update your email preferences by clicking the link below and tell us what FAMLI matters you’re most interested in learning more about. After you enter your email address, you’ll be asked to create a password. Using a password is entirely up to you and not required to update your preferences.
|
|
|
|
|
