Do you know everything there is to know about CT Paid Leave?

According to Newtown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Helen Brickfield, most businesses with one or more employees will be impacted by paid leave, which ensures that workers will not have to choose between a paycheck and their ability to care for themselves or their loved ones.

To help businesses and workers better understand this new state program, Brickfield said the Newtown Chamber is co-hosting a webinar about paid leave specifically for small businesses at noon on April 20. Other co-hosts include the Brookfield and Monroe Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the C.H. Booth Library and the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library in Monroe.

“We are partnering with like-minded organizations to reach all our local businesses,” Brickfield told The Newtown Bee. “This year there has been a lot of information to process, forms to complete — and we have learned that we need to reach out and communicate in many ways. Business owners are busy, and we are always looking for ways to help them be informed.”

The event will help all attendees understand which employers must participate, who will be eligible for paid leave, and the resources available to support both businesses and workers. This webinar will be recorded.

The webinar features Erin Choquette, General Counsel at the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority (PFMLIA), whose board consists of 15 members including designees of the state treasurer, state comptroller, and several state agency commissioners, and appointees of legislative leaders, and the governor.

Prior to joining the Paid Leave Authority, Choquette worked at the Department of Administrative Services for 14 years, most recently serving as the Policy and Legislative Advisor to the DAS Commissioner, directing the agency’s legislative and general legal functions.

While at DAS, Ms. Choquette co-authored the Family and Medical Leave Entitlements Manual, an extensive and detailed guide to understanding and administering federal and state family and medical leave laws. Ms. Choquette practiced law for several years at Robinson & Cole, LLP, where she focused on employer counseling and the litigation of employment-related claims as well as disability insurance litigation.

Booth Library Director Douglas C. Lord observed that “...the amount of misinformation and disinformation that exists on this topic is staggering, more than enough to confuse even the most on-the-ball business owner.”

“Don’t leave questions regarding your business open to mistakes, outdated websites, or what your friend’s lawyer said. Instead, get the scoop straight from the source in this webinar,” Lord added.

“In our continuous effort to always be on the lookout for information that feeds the needs of our greater Monroe business community, we are delighted to be partnering with [these] Chambers and the Booth Library to bring you up to date on (PFMLA) the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act,” said Wheeler Library spokesperson Beth Stoller. “Many business owners and employees are not aware that this new law [is in effect now] or where the funds are going to be used. Attending this webinar will answer all of their questions.”

To register: CLICK HERE