Boulder Leader

Welcome to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE)'s newsletter for Colorado’s new paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. You’re receiving this newsletter because it includes important legal updates that will impact your business in some way. 2023 is here, and it’s a busy year for the FAMLI Division! Remember you can also get these updates sent directly to your mobile phone, just add your mobile number to your subscription preferences, and select SMS/text message.

FAMLI Payroll Deductions Are Underway!Most Colorado workers are seeing changes on their paychecks this year, as payroll deductions are now underway!As of January 1, 2023, Colorado employers and employees started contributing to the new FAMLI program. The contributions are building the fund that will eventually provide Coloradans wage replacement benefits during life circumstances that pull them away from their jobs. This time next year, Coloradans will be able to receive paid leave for things like bonding with a new child, taking care of a loved one with a serious health condition, or preparing for a loved one’s military deployment. All Colorado employers are required to register with the Division before the first wage reports and premium payments are due on April 30, 2023. If your business hasn’t registered yet, you can get started with step-by-step user guides and how-to videos on our My FAMLI+ Employer page. 

Important information for Self-Employed Workers

The FAMLI Division has recently received a lot of questions about self-employed workers in Colorado. Self-employed individuals and independent contractors will have access to FAMLI benefits, but their participation in the program is optional. If you are considered as a self-employed individual and decide to opt into FAMLI, you must agree to participate by paying premiums and reporting your income for a minimum of three years. Self-employed workers can opt in once benefits become available in 2024. No action is required until then. 

What if you do not want to participate as a self-employed worker?

Self-employed individuals who do not wish to participate in FAMLI do not need to take any action to opt out of the program. You do not need to register in order to opt out. You will only need to register in order to voluntarily opt in and commit to paying premiums for three years once you can self-elect coverage in 2024.

We have more details on how self-employed workers count their earnings on our Individuals & Families page, and if you're unsure about whether or not you are considered self-employed, check out this blog post on self-employed individuals.

January 2023 Webinars: 

We started 2023 with a live webinar focused on employers who use Third Party Administrators (TPAs). We’ve also added two new videos to our TPA page to guide both the TPAs and employers about the FAMLI registration process and making the necessary TPA-employer relationship. If you missed the conversation, don’t worry, all of our webinars are published to our webinar page and our official YouTube Channel.

Upcoming Webinars

The FAMLI team will be hosting a live webinar on Wednesday, February 22 from Noon - 1 p.m. The FAMLI team will be answering your questions live. Please register in advance, as attendance is limited to 500 people. If we reach capacity, you’ll be able to watch the webinar streaming live on YouTube. We’ll also send a recording of the webinar to everyone who registers and publish it to our website following the session. 

Original source can be found here.