80% of local governments opted out of Colorado’s paid family leave

So far, more than 1,250 local governments have opted out of the contentious Colorado program requiring employers to provide paid family and medical leave. That number stands to grow as the new March 31 deadline to opt out approaches.

That’s not too surprising to Tracy Marshall, division director of the new Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, or FAMLI. It costs money to implement the voter-approved plan giving employees access to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or serious family health issue. To build up the fund, employers and their employees each began paying 0.45% of a worker’s salary in January. 

Workers can begin requesting leave in 2024. Local governments were one of the few employers allowed to opt out.

“It’s not…