Connecticut has expanded its paid sick leave law to include nearly all employers and all employees. Under the current law, employers with 50 or more Connecticut employees are required to provide paid sick leave to “service workers.” The revised law lowers the threshold in three phases, and most employees will be entitled to leave.
The three phases are as follows:
- January 1, 2025: Employers with 25 or more employees in Connecticut will be covered;
- January 1, 2026: Employers with 11 or more employees in Connecticut will be covered;
- As of January 1, 2027: Employers with one or more employees in Connecticut will be covered.
Employees may take paid sick leave for the following reasons:
- For (A) an employee’s illness, injury or health condition, (B) the medical diagnosis, care or treatment of an employee’s mental illness or physical illness, injury or health condition, (C) preventative medical care for an employee’s mental or physical health, or (D) a mental health wellness day;
- For (A) illness, injury or health condition of an employee’s family member, (B) the medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition of an employee’s family member, or (C) preventative medical care; and an employee’s family member for such family member’s mental or physical health;
- For closure by order of a public official, due to a public health emergency, of either (A) an employer’s place of business, or (B) a family member’s school or place of care;
- For a determination by a health authority having jurisdiction, an employer of the employee, an employer of a family member or a health care provider, that such employee or family member poses a risk to the health of others due to such employee’s or family member’s exposure to a communicable illness, whether or not the employee or family member contracted the communicable illness; and
- Where an employee or an employee’s family member is a victim of family violence or sexual assault, provided such employee is not the perpetrator or alleged perpetrator of such family violence or sexual assault, for (A) medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability, (B) obtaining services from a victim services organization, (C) relocating due to such family violence or sexual assault, or (D) participating in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from such family violence or sexual assault.
Accrual begins on the commencement of employment, but leave cannot use it until after 120 calendar days of employment. Leave accrues at a minimum rate of one hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours of leave. Employers must allow employees to carry over up to 40 hours of accrued but unused paid sick leave, or provide employees with a bank of front-loaded sick time in lieu of any carryover.
Employers must conspicuously display a paid sick leave poster in the workplace and provide written notice of the new law to current employees by January 1, 2025.
