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August 28, 2023

Welcome to Colorado's monthly FAMLI newsletter. If you're new, your business has an account in My FAMLI+ Employer. This newsletter has important information that will help your business meet its FAMLI requirements. It also includes updates for health care providers, individuals, and families about FAMLI benefits launching in 2024. You can add your cell number to your subscription preferences by selecting SMS/text format to get these updates via text! 

New “Wages” Definition is Effective January 1, 2024

The FAMLI Division recently adopted a change to the definition of “wages'' that will go into effect on January 1, 2024. The current (and soon to be old) definition aligns FAMLI’s definition of “wages” with the Unemployment Insurance Division’s definition of “wages.” 

After receiving a lot of feedback that the definition was too complicated, the Division amended the definition to make it simpler. Under the new definition, FAMLI “wages” will mean “gross wages” and will include typical employer compensation. Premiums and benefits will be calculated using this new definition starting January 1, 2024. 

Gross wages will include the following post-tax amounts:

• Salary
• Hourly wage
• Overtime
• Tips
• Bonuses
• Commissions
• Piece rate
• Employer-provided paid leave (PTO, sick, vacation, etc.)
• Disability benefits paid by the employer and not by a third-party
• Parental leave paid by the employer and not by a third party
• The value of lodging or meals used as a credit toward the minimum wage

Gross wages will not include:

• Severance payments
• Deferred compensation contributions or payments
• Profit-sharing
• Pensions or retirement plan payments
• Expense reimbursements (mileage, travel, moving, per diems, etc)
• Non-monetary payments (except lodging or meals to the extent they’re used as a credit toward the minimum wage)

For more information on the newly adopted rules check out the breakdown of the amendments here. 

Health Care Providers: Register in My FAMLI+ Today!

Our online portal for health care providers is up and running! My FAMLI+ is open exclusively to licensed health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, midwives, and emergency room personnel. By registering in My FAMLI+, health care providers can provide an enhanced experience for their patients once Coloradans are able to receive benefits starting in 2024. Register now and get your license verified today! 

To help health care providers with the new portal, we have several how-to videos and a step-by-step user guide with instructions.

We Need Health Care Providers to Test Our Portal!

While the health care provider portal is now allowing providers to verify their licenses, we’ll be rolling out new functionality later this year once Coloradans can start submitting their FAMLI leave claims. There’s still time to make sure the portal we’ve built meets your needs. Sign up here to share your input before the system opens up for applications later this year.

Watch the Webinar for Healthcare Providers

The FAMLI Division recently hosted a live webinar about the new portal. We answered dozens of questions during the live Q&A session, and you can watch the recording on our YouTube channel. The slide deck is also available. If you still have questions about FAMLI’s health care provider portal, please call 1-866-CO-FAMLI (1-866-263-2654) Monday - Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Update on Private Plans:

The FAMLI Division will be contacting all employers who have been approved to use a private plan starting in mid-September regarding a premiums refund. While employers do not need to do anything to initiate the refund, you may proactively request the refund by calling the FAMLI Division at 1-866-CO-FAMLI (1-866-263-2654), and we’ll begin processing those requests starting in mid-September. 

Remember, employers must submit their application to use a private plan on or before October 31, 2023 and the private plan must have an effective date on or before January 1, 2024 in order to be eligible for a refund of premiums paid in 2023. Visit our Private Plans page for more details.

Upcoming Regional Town Hall: Fort Collins

The FAMLI team is hitting the road again! We’re headed up to Fort Collins on Tuesday, August 29. These regional town halls are a great way to connect, and get your questions answered in person. Watch the Grand Junction highlight reel from our first regional town hall and hear from FAMLI leaders about the session’s hot topics.

If you can’t make it to Fort Collins, check out the full schedule. We’re planning stops in Colorado Springs and Denver. Registration is required, so let us know you’re coming by filling out this form.   

Note: Any town halls with fewer than 10 in person RSVPs will be virtual-only. We will let all attendees know ahead of time if the events are changed to a virtual-only format.

Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division Hosts First MyUI Employer+ Webinar, Previews New System Features

This fall, the UI Division is launching a new version of MyUI Employer called MyUI Employer+. To prepare employers for the change, the first of several webinars was held on August 17th, which featured an introduction to the system's new self-service functionalities and much more! A recording of the first MyUI Employer+ webinar is available on our website, and CDLE’s YouTube Channel. Recordings, presentations, and Q&A material from each webinar will be available via the MyUI Employer+ webpage.

Due to overwhelming interest from Third Party Administrators (TPAs), the UI Division will be hosting future sessions specifically for TPAs in addition to the general employer sessions. All employers, TPAs, and leasing companies are welcome to join any future MyUI Employer+ webinars.

Save the date for our upcoming webinars!

• Tuesday, August 29th @ 11am (TPA session)
• Monday, September 11th @ 11am (Employer & TPA session)
• Tuesday, September 26th @ 11am (TPA session)

Be sure to subscribe to UI’s new MyUI Employer+ Update newsletter for all of the news related to the new system.

Share Your Story With Us!

We want to hear your personal stories. Please tell us how FAMLI could have or will help you. Each month we’ll feature stories like this one:

People Are Asking:

Are both parents eligible to use FAMLI leave to care for the addition of the same child?

Yes. Two or more claimants are eligible to file a FAMLI bonding leave claim for the same child within one year of the child's birth or adoption placement. 

FAMLI bonding leave can be taken as a continuous leave, intermittent leave, or as a reduced work schedule. This must be coordinated with the claimant’s employer.

Would someone who has recently retired or separated from employment be eligible for FAMLI benefits?

No. FAMLI provides partial wage replacement for time away from work. If the person is retired or is no longer employed, they wouldn't have wages coming in from an employer, even if they paid into the system previously. 

Can employers take deductions from FAMLI benefits to pay for the employee's portion of company health insurance payments?

No. Approved FAMLI benefits are paid directly to the claimant from the State while the claimant is out on leave. Employers should continue to pay the company’s share of health insurance costs for that employee. Employees and employers will need to explore options for employees to pay their share of health insurance costs and other deductions typically made when the employee is not on leave.