Livestock Operators Counseled on Prop 118
Colorado Proposition 118, Family and Medical Leave has not been certified, but by all accounts has received enough yes votes to pass.
Attorney Kevin Paul of Range PC spoke to Colorado Livestock Association members on a recent webinar to detail changes coming because of the proposition’s passage. He likened the legislation to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act which gives workers 12 weeks off to deal with a serious illness or injury without fear of losing their job.
PAUL: “ It is also paid leave not unpaid leave. The payment comes from a fund that the state is going to collect from employers and employees. Almost like medicare or social security where both employers and employees contribute to it, that’s what this would be set up like. Employer contributions would not start until 2023.”
He says the leave would not start until 2024.
“Small employers that have less than 10 employees throughout most of the year would not have to contribute to it. Their employees could but they would not. So if you’re a small operation that just has 5 or 6 employees, it’s highly likely you won’t have any additional expense even if your employees are enrolled in it.”
Paul added that there’s a good chance Proposition 118 will be challenged in court as an unconstitutional tax or fee.
The Colorado Livestock Association hosts more webinars this month on the outcome of the elections with information on their website.
