Summary of New Law:  On May 28, 2024, Governor Ned Lamont signed legislation expanding Connecticut's Sick Leave Law initially enacted in 2011.  The new legislation is effective on January 1, 2025.  The amendment expands the law to include nearly all categories of employees, provides additional reasons for taking leave and reduced the number of hours needed  for accrual of each hour of leave. Employers will need to review their policies to ensure compliance with the new law.

Current Law: Currently, employers with more than 50 employees in specific retail and service occupations must provide their employees with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually. The new law expands the type of eligible worker to almost every occupation (not just “service worker”).  It now applies to all workers except temporary or seasonal workers who work less than 120 days per year.  Note that if an employee was not expected to work more than 120 days but actually does, the employee would be permitted to accrue and use sick leave.

Employers Covered:  The threshold number of employees required for coverage is being phased in.  Starting January 1, 2025, employers with 25 employees must provide their employees with paid sick leave: this drops to 11 employees on January 1, 2026, and one employee on January 1, 2027.

Reasons for Leave:  An employee may use paid sick leave for his or her own:

· illness, injury or health condition;

· the medical diagnosis, care or treatment of his or her mental illness or physical illness, injury or health condition;

· preventative medical care; or

· mental health wellness day.

An employee may use paid sick leave for a family member's:

· illness, injury or health condition;

· the medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; or

· preventative medical care. An employee may use paid sick leave when either:

· the employer's place of business; or

· a family member's school or place of care closes by order of a public official due to a public health emergency.

An employee may use paid sick leave when a health authority, the employer of the employee or the employee's family member, or a health care provider determines that the employee or the employee's family member poses a risk to the health of others because of exposure to a communicable disease.

An employee may use paid sick leave if the employee or the employee's family member is a victim of family violence or sexual assault:

· for medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability;

· to obtain services from a victim services organization;

· to relocate due to such family violence or sexual assault;

· to participate in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from such family violence or sexual assault.

“Family member” means a spouse, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, or parent of an employee, or an individual who is related to the employee by blood or by an affinity whose close association the employee shows to be equivalent to those family relationships.

Documentation:  No Documentation Permitted!  No employer shall require an employee to provide any documentation that paid sick leave is being taken for a reason covered by the paid sick leave law.

Accrual:  Eligible employees will now accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, accruing up to 40 hours per year.  They can carry over up to 40 hours of leave.  Previously, employees accrued one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.  Employers can elect to front load sick leave and avoid carry over. Employees may use their sick leave after 120 days but begin accruing sick leave immediately upon hire.

Concurrent Leave:  While generally, paid time off can run concurrently with other leaves granted, employees cannot be compelled to use up to two weeks of paid time off.  Additionally, employers must provide twelve days off if they are victims of family violence and cannot be compelled to use their paid leave if they elect not to do so. 

No Retaliation/Discrimination:  No employer shall take retaliatory personnel action or discriminate against an employee because the employee:

· requests or uses paid sick leave either in accordance with the act; or

· in accordance with the employer's own paid sick leave policy, as the case may be; or

· files a complaint with the Labor Commissioner alleging the employer's violation of the act.

Collective Bargaining Agreements:  The changes cannot diminish the rights already granted in a bargaining agreement (if more generous). 

Recordkeeping:  Employers must track and keep records of hours worked and paid sick leave used and accrued for every employee and provide to employee on their paychecks.

Notice:  Employers must post a notice.  Notice linked here:  psl-english-poster-effective-1-1-2025.pdf

If you have any questions, please contact Rose Kallor, LLP at 860-361-7999.