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Overview of Paid Sick Time Laws in the United States:
Connecticut
Updated on January 29, 2024
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| Connecticut | |
| Who is covered? Note: City/county paid sick time laws cannot cover state government workers, and city, county, and state paid sick time laws cannot cover federal government workers. | Hourly workers in certain “service” occupations in Connecticut are covered, if they work for a business with 50 or more workers. For the full list of which professions are covered “service” occupations, go to www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/SickLeaveLaw.htm and look at the definition of “service worker” (Sec. 31-57r(7)). Certain manufacturers and non-profit organizations are exempted, as are temporary and day laborers. |
| Can sick time be used to care for loved ones? | Yes: children and spouses |
| How is “child” defined? | Biological, foster, or adopted children, stepchildren, legal wards, or the child of a worker standing in loco parentis to the child. The child must be under 18 or incapable of self-care because of a mental/physical disability. |
| Can sick time be used for specific “safe time” purposes (related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking)? | Yes, but only when the worker or the worker’s child or legal ward is the victim |
| Can sick time be used under the law to bond with a new child and/or deal with a family member’s death? Note: It is possible that other laws, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act or a state equivalent, could provide eligible workers with unpaid leave for these purposes. | No |
| Can sick time be used when a worker’s place of work or child’s school/place of care is closed by public health officials for a public health emergency? | No. |
| Rate at which workers earn paid sick time? | 1 hour for every 40 hours worked |
| Do workers have different sick time-related rights based on the size of their employer? If so, based on what employer-size threshold(s)? | Yes, workers who work for employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt. |
| Amount of paid sick time that can be earned under the law per year? (Note: All of these paid sick time laws make it clear that these laws establish a minimum requirement, and employers can provide greater or more generous paid sick time benefits to their workers.) | Up to 40 hours of paid sick time a year |
| When do workers begin to earn paid sick time? | At the commencement of employment, but workers aren’t entitled to use paid sick time until the 680th hour of employment. |
| Does unused sick time carry forward to the subsequent year? | Workers are entitled to carry forward up to 40 hours of unused paid sick time, but employers are not required to allow use of more than 40 hours of paid sick time a year. |
| Private Right of Action to go to Court? | No |
| Are there waivers/ exemptions for workers covered by a valid Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)? | No specific language regarding waivers or exemptions for workers covered by a CBA |
| What Agency or Official Enforces the Law? | The Connecticut Department of Labor |
| For the statewide paid sick time laws: can cities in the state pass paid sick time laws that are broader than the state law? | Not explicitly addressed in the paid sick time law |
| Statutory Citation(s) | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57r et seq. |
| Additional Notes | For more information, see httpss://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/SickLeave.htm. |
