Is your business prepared?
Last month, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy approved a bill that modified the state’s landmark paid sick leave law. The 2012 version of this law required most businesses with 50 or more employees (during any quarter of the previous year) to provide “service workers” one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, with a maximum of 40 hours (five days) of paid sick leave.
The new version gives CT businesses greater flexibility in determining whether or not they are subject to the law. Here is a brief summary of the provisions of P.A. 14-128:
- For an employer to determine if they meet the 50-employee threshold, they now look at their payroll level during the week containing October 1 each year. If the company has 50 or more employees that week, they are not exempt – and must provide paid sick leave benefits.
- Employers that fire, dismiss or transfer employees to reduce employment levels below 50 employees are subject to penalties.
- The timeframe for accruing paid sick leave is now flexible. Instead of using the calendar year, employers are now free to start their benefit year for paid sick leave on any date they choose.
- The amended law also extends paid sick leave benefits to radiologic technologists by adding them to the list of “service workers.” This broadening of the statutory definition of “service worker” may foreshadow additional expansion of paid sick leave benefits to other positions in future legislative sessions.
- The amendment goes into effect January 1, 2015.
A full version of P.A. 14-128 can be found here.
What about temporary workers?
Temporary employees are exempt from Connecticut’s Paid Sick Leave Law. As their employer of record, we are responsible for ensuring compliance with state and federal laws for our employees – and that’s one less worry for you.
Want more information?
This earlier post contains more information about paying your CT employees – including vacation time, break periods and overtime pay.