Articles

Expanded CT Sick Leave Law

May, 2024

PAID SICK DAYS LAW EXPANDED

On May 6, 2024, the Connecticut Senate approved a bill that will expand the current paid sick leave law to large and small employers.  It was previously approved by the House and it is expected that the Governor will sign the bill.  The new changes are listed below:

Employers

            The current paid sick leave law covers private sector employers with at least 50 employees, except manufacturers and certain non-profits.  The bill gradually expands the law’s coverage to nearly all private sector employers regardless of size, industry, or non-profit status as follows:

            Starting January 1, 2025, employers with at least 25 employees;

            Starting January 1, 2026, employers with at least 11 employees;

            Starting January 1, 2027, all employers.

The following employers are exempt:

1. Employers that participate in a multi-employer health plan requiring contributions from multiple employers and maintained under a collective bargaining agreement;
2. Employees who are members of a union that is party to one of these health plans;
3. Self-employed people (undefined).

Employees

            The bill expands current law to cover nearly all private sector employees, except for seasonal employees (employees who work annually 120 days or less) and union construction workers, rather than only the specified “service worker” jobs covered by current law.

Family Members

            Current law allows covered employees to use paid sick leave to care for their minor or disabled child.  The bill broadens the range of “family members” to include their adult children, siblings, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and anyone related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be equivalent to those family members.

Leave Accrual

            The bill increases the rate at which employees accrue leave, from one hour per every 40 hours worked to one hour per ever 30 hours worked.  For newly covered employers and employees, the leave begins accruing on the January 1 that they become covered by the law.

Leave Availability

            Under current law, employees must work 680 hours for their employer before they can use their leave.  The bill instead allows employees to use their leave starting on the 120^th calendar day of their employment.

Replacements

            The bill prohibits employers from requiring employees taking paid sick leave to look for or find a replacement to cover the hours they were scheduled to work.

Other Employer-Provided Leave

            The current paid sick leave law deems an employer in compliance with its requirements if the employer offers other paid leave (e.g., vacation or personal leave) that the employee can use for the same reasons allowed under the paid sick leave law.

Leave Uses

            The bill expands the reasons why an employee may use sick leave to include when the employer’s place of business or a family member’s school or place of care is closed by public order due to a public health emergency.

            It also allows for leave if the employee or family member is under quarantine.

            Current law also allows an employee to use paid sick leave if he or she or the employee’s child was a victim of family violence or sexual assault and needs leave to do certain things, such as counseling or participate in civil or criminal proceedings.

Employer Notice and Records

            The law requires employers to notify employees about certain provisions of the paid sick leave law when hired, such as how leave accrues and how it may be used.  The new bill requires employer to display a poster about the new law.  If the employer does not maintain a physical workplace, or an employee teleworks or works through a web-based or app-based platform the employer must inform the employee through electronic communication or posting the information on the platform.

            Employers are required to maintain paid sick leave records for three years.

Enforcement

            Employers found to have violated these provisions are liable for a civil penalty of up to $100 for each violation.