The campaign to get voters to approve a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program kicked off last week.
The proposal, known as Proposition 118, would eventually create a $1.3 billion insurance fund in which employees who need to take time off from work for their own medical needs or that of a family member could do so and still earn a weekly wage.
Under the proposition, such employees could qualify for up to 12 weeks of paid time off. How much they could receive depends on what they earn, ranging from 37% of their normal pay if they make $3,000 a week to 90% if they only get $500 a week.
Proponents of the measure say that about 80% of Coloradans currently don’t have access to paid family and medical leave.
“The current pandemic has only served to underscore the critical need for a family and medical leave program in Colorado, which has been a priority for the Democratic caucus over the past several years,” said Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg of Boulder, one of several Democratic lawmakers who are endorsing the measure. “This policy would benefit more than 2.6 million hardworking Coloradans, many of them low wage workers or people of color, who need this support the most.”
The program would be funded by employers and workers alike, depending on what they earn.
Both would pay a weekly premium that ranges from $2.25 for a worker who makes $26,000 a year to $13.50 for those earning $156,000 a year. Each employer would be required to pay the same amount for each of their workers.
Opponents of the bill say that’s a tremendous burden on businesses, especially when they still are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the state’s economy.
“Make no mistake, this ballot initiative imposes a payroll tax increase on all Colorado families and businesses during an unprecedented economic recession,” said Loren Furman, senior vice president of state and federal relations for the Colorado Chamber of Commerce.
“We should be focused on keeping businesses open and Coloradans employed, not creating new social programs and mandates in the middle of a global pandemic,” she added. “Colorado can’t afford a new billion-dollar bureaucracy.”
The proposed new program does allow some employers to opt out. They include businesses that employ nine or fewer workers, are self-employed, are local governments that decide not to participate or are employers that already offer approved paid leave benefits.
The program would call on employees to apply for paid leave benefits similar to filling a claim for unemployment insurance. Like that benefit, it would be administered by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
The ballot measure also provides protections for employees who qualify, barring employers from disciplining or taking retaliatory actions against their workers who request paid leave through the program.
When employees return to work, an employer must ensure that they retain their previous position, along with any seniority, status, employment benefits and pay.
Employees must have worked in their current jobs for at least 180 days to qualify for benefits, and would still be required to pay their portion of any health care premiums while on paid leave.
