Real World Impact: Effective January 1, 2025, Connecticut’s paid sick leave law is expanded to cover all employees working for a company with more than 25 employees.
As previously reported by FordHarrison earlier this year, Connecticut’s overhaul of its Paid Sick Leave Law takes effect on January 1, 2025. While Connecticut has had mandatory paid sick leave for “service workers” employed by companies with at least 50 employees for over a decade, as of January 1, 2025, the law is expanded to cover all employees working for a company with more than 25 employees. The number of employees slowly drops year over year so that on January 1, 2027, all employers who employ at least 1 employee must comply. Under the expanded law, paid leave accrues at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, for a maximum of 40 hours per year. Employers may not seek documentation to justify the use of sick leave, which can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including mental health days.
Some controversy has emerged in the public sector world regarding whether the expanded law applies in that context. The language of the statute does not mention public sector employers at all but does define employer to include any “entity that employs” the requisite number of employees. The Connecticut Department of Labor has taken the position that this definition does include the public sector, including municipalities and boards of education, which it has included both in its published Frequently Asked Questions (see number 1) and Q&A Survey Questions (see number 106). Thus, it is advisable for public sector employers with at least 25 employees to comply with this law beginning on January 1, 2025.
The Bottom Line
So, as we wind down 2024, if you are an employer in Connecticut with at least 25 employees, make sure you are offering your employees paid sick leave and are otherwise in compliance with Connecticut’s Paid Sick Leave Law. Of course, we are here at FordHarrison to help you with any last minute questions!
