Everything You Need to Know About Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Update
Connecticut has always been at the forefront of the ever-growing jurisdictionally-based Paid Sick Leave initiatives. In fact, Connecticut was the first state to create a statewide paid sick leave mandate back in January 2012.
Today, Connecticut continues to be a trailblazer with a newly revamped Paid Sick Leave law. The new Paid Sick Leave ordinance was signed on May 21, 2024, and will go into effect on January 1, 2025, with changes to business coverage being implemented in three stages between then and January 1, 2027.
The revamped Paid Sick Leave law amends most sections of the old ordinance, including the scope of covered businesses, the scope of eligible workers, the rate of accrual, the reasons for use, and the definition of family member.
Quick Overview:
Covered Businesses
The changes to covered businesses in Connecticut will be implemented gradually over three years, starting from January 1, 2025. Initially, a business will be subject to the mandate if it has more than 25 workers. A year later, on January 1, 2026, the coverage threshold drops to those employing 11 or more workers. Finally, on January 1, 2027, businesses must comply with the Paid Sick Leave Ordinance as long as they have one or more workers in the state. This phased approach allows businesses to adapt to the new requirements without feeling overwhelmed.
Eligible Workers
In the wake of the new Paid Sick Leave Law, Connecticut has also expanded eligible workers to include all individuals engaged in service to a business. This means eligibility will no longer require that the individual be a “service worker,” nor does it require that they be paid on an hourly basis or are non-exempt under the FLSA. This is so long as the worker has reached their 120th calendar day of employment.
Individuals who are still excluded from this provision are certain union members who meet the criteria regarding multiemployer health plans and seasonal workers who work less than 120 days per year.
Reasons for Use
Connecticut current Paid Sick Leave law allows workers to take paid leave for (1) the illness, injury, or health condition of a covered worker or their child or spouse; (2) the medical diagnosis, care, or treatment for a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition of a covered worker or their child or spouse; (3) a mental health wellness day for a covered worker; (4) where a covered worker is a victim of family violence, sexual assault, or the covered worker is a parent or guardian of a child who is a victim of family violence.
The new Paid Sick Leave ordinance adds two more acceptable reasons for use. Paid Sick Leave may also be used for (5) a closure by public official’s order, due to a public health emergency of either the worker’s workplace or a family member’s school or place of care; and (6) a determination by a health authority that the worker or their family member poses a risk to the health of others due to their exposure to a communicable illness, whether or not the employee or family member contracted the communicable illness.
While most of the reasons for use remain the same, the additions are holdovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result, the ordinance ensures workers still can receive pay while isolating as cases still occur sporadically.
Family Members
In the past, Connecticut has defined family member as an eligible worker’s child or spouse, with spouse being defined as “husband or wife.” Starting January 1, 2025, Connecticut Paid Sick Leave as been amended to include a new definition of “family member”, which now includes a spouse, sibling, child, grandchild, or parent of a worker, or an individual related to the worker by blood or affinity whose close association with the worker shows to be equivalent to a family relationship.
The definition of “spouse” and “child” have been expanded to include registered domestic partners in the former and workers who stood in loco parentis when the individual was a child in the latter. These expansions signal an understanding of more complex familial relationships.
Conclusion
The complexity of tracking Paid Leave ordinances as the trend expands across multiple cities, counties, and states within the United States is daunting. TCWGlobal simplifies compliance by managing all your employer of record needs, including navigating and managing these accruals to ensure ongoing legal compliance for your contingent workforce. Our comprehensive approach and deep understanding of all jurisdictional paid leave ordinances make us an indispensable ally in managing your workforce effectively and compliantly.
For more information, please see our Paid Sick Leave Guide here:
https://www.tcwglobal.com/sick-leave-cheat-sheet.
For additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@tcwglobal.com.
