A new law to protect Coloradans’ jobs has gone into effect as part of a raft of new legislation taking effect on the 90th day after the end of the 2013 legislative session.
HB13-1222, sponsored by Rep. Cherylin Peniston, D-Westminster, extends the Family and Medical Leave Act coverage to civil-union partners and domestic partners in Colorado. The federal FMLA allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for a disabling health condition, the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a sick family member or to fill in for a family member on a military deployment.
“There are many privileges, protections and responsibilities that go with civil unions, and the FMLA should be part of the package,” Peniston said. “Coloradans’ jobs should be protected when they or their loved ones are faced with a serious illness.”