The Weekly Guide to Employment Law Developments

The Rocky Mountain Employer

Labor & Employment Law Updates

Colorado Family and Medical Leave Task Force to File Final Report Next Week

Next week, the Family and Medical Leave Implementation (“FAMLI”) Task Force will issue its final report, consistent with the May 30, 2019 Senate Bill 19-188,(FN1) which required the implementation of a paid family and medical leave program in Colorado based upon the bill’s 16 factors (the Task Force actually considered and voted on 26 factors). Campbell Litigation’s Stacey Campbell served as Vice Chair of the 13-voting member Task Force, which met 12 times for a total of approximately 43 hours. The Task Force’s final report will be issued to Colorado state congressional committees and Colorado’s Governor Polis. The report will also be posted on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s website. (FN1.5) Besides considering the bill’s factors, Governor Polis also asked the Task Force to consider an option requiring employers above a certain size to provide a defined minimum paid-leave benefit to employees, which an employer could choose to administer either by itself or through insurance provided through the private market (FN2). Pinnacol Assurance submitted both a public comment (FN3) and an actuary report(FN4) on this private insurance market model.

Colorado’s legislature session begins January 8, 2020 and given the focus on paid family and medical leave, this will be a hot topic for legislators during this session. Campbell Litigation will continue to follow this legislation and provide updates on what could become Colorado’s paid family and medical leave law.

Footnotes:

FN1     See July 18, 2019 Blog Post: “Task Force Begins Analysis of Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Program,” https://www.rockymountainemployersblog.com/blog/2019/7/18/task-force-begins-analysis-of-colorado-paid-family-and-medical-leave-program

FN1.5  See FAMLI Task Force Webpage 

FN2     Governor Polis’ letter to the Task Force

FN3     Pinnacol Assurance’s Public Comment

FN4     Pinnacol Assurance’s Actuary Report