Connecticut Sick Leave Law

The Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law provides a basic level of protection for workers managing health-related issues for themselves or their families.

This article details the Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law. You'll learn about its current provisions, including covered employers, qualifying reasons, and eligible employees. You'll also learn about upcoming changes to the law that will positively impact employees and expand its current protections.

What is the Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law?

Connecticut's Paid Sick Leave Act went into effect in 2012, making it the first state to mandate employers to provide paid sick leave for qualifying employees. While the law provides basic support to employees, it has limitations regarding the employees it covers and employers that must comply.

Provisions of the Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law

The Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law outlines several key provisions. These provisions cover areas including:

• Which employers must comply
• Eligibility criteria for employees
• Accrual and carry-over
• Qualifying reasons for which employees can use paid sick leave under the law

Covered Employers

The current law applies to Connecticut employers with 50 or more employees in the state. It excludes some manufacturers and nonprofit organizations.

The law looks at the employer's payroll for the week containing October 1st to determine the employer's employee count for the year.

Employee Eligibility

In general, the current law covers hourly service workers. This includes a wide range of occupations, like food service employees, retail staff, and some health care workers. Reference paragraph 8 of the current law for specific definitions of eligible service workers.

The law does not cover:

• Exempt, salaried employees
• Temporary or seasonal laborers
• Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements (a negotiated contract between an employer and union employees)

Paid Sick Leave Accrual and Carry Over

Covered employees receive one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours they work, maxing out at 40 hours (five days). Employees can carry over up to five days of paid sick leave from one year to the next. But, employees can't use more than five days of paid sick leave in any calendar year.

Qualifying Reasons for Sick Leave

Under Connecticut law, the qualifying reasons for using paid sick leave are broader than the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions that require a "serious health condition" of the employee or a member of their family. A covered employee is allowed to use accrued sick leave for their own, their spouse's, or their child's:

1. Illness, injury, or health condition
2. Medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition
3. Preventive medical care

In addition, employees who experience family violence or sexual assault can use their accrued sick leave for:

• Physical or mental health treatment
• Working with a victim services organization
• Relocation
• Participation in legal proceedings
• Other related needs

Employees can also use leave if they are the parent or guardian of a victim of family violence or sexual assault (as long as they are not the alleged perpetrator).

In 2023, an update to the law added “mental health wellness days" as a qualifying reason. Under this update, employees can use their accrued paid sick days to address their emotional and psychological health and well-being.

Can My Employer Require a Doctor's Note For Paid Sick Time?

Under the law, employers can require documentation verifying a qualifying reason for leaves of three consecutive days or more.

However, upcoming changes to the law will forbid employers from requiring documentation in 2025.

Upcoming Changes to Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law

In May 2024, Connecticut implemented significant changes to the existing law. These changes expand the law's protections and benefit employees.

Phased implementations will gradually increase the number of covered employers:

• Effective January 1, 2025, the law applies to employers with 25 or more employees in the state.
• Effective January 1, 2026, the law applies to employers with 11 or more employees in the state.
• Effective January 1, 2027, the law applies to employers with one or more employees in the state.

The changes will also cover more employees, including all private-sector employees. But, seasonal employees working less than 120 days per year and some unionized construction workers are still excluded.

The updated law will also expand qualifying reasons for paid sick leave, adding:

• Closure of the employer's place of business due to a public health emergency
• Closure of a family member's school or childcare due to a public health emergency
• Determination that the employee or their family member presents a health risk to others because of a contagious disease

The new law also broadens the types of family members employees can use paid sick leave to care for (under qualifying reasons). Additions of covered family members include:

• Adult children
• Registered domestic partners
• Parents, stepparents, parent-in-laws
• Grandparents
• Siblings
• Others related by blood or a close association

Paid sick leave accrual will increase to 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (instead of every 40 hours worked). But the annual limit remains 40 hours per year. This change will not apply to employers offering other types of paid time off (like personal days or vacation time) that meet or exceed 40 hours per year.

With the exception of the staggered implementation of the expansion of covered employers, the changes outlined above are scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2025.

What To Do If Your Connecticut Employer Violates Sick Leave Policies

Employers must adhere to all state and federal laws governing sick leave policies. But, not all employers follow the rules and mistakes can happen.

The law explicitly states employees' right to file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner should their employer violate sick leave laws. You can file a complaint online with the Connecticut Department of Labor, who will investigate the matter and enforce the law if necessary.

You can also consult an attorney with expertise in employment law. An attorney can guide you on the best course of action and pursue potential legal remedies.

Be sure to keep detailed records of employer violations, including dates, times, and specific instances where your employer did not comply with the law.

Need Help Navigating Connecticut Sick Leave Laws? Get Legal Advice

Help is available if you're unsure how Connecticut's sick leave laws apply to you as an employee. It's crucial to understand your legal rights if your employer has denied you paid sick days or you are facing disciplinary action for taking time off due to illness. An experienced attorney can help answer your questions and review your situation.

Contact an employment law attorney in your area to learn how they can help protect your rights under Connecticut sick leave laws.

More Resources on Sick Leave Laws

• Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Law - current law and revised law (effective 1/1/25)
• What Is Paid Sick Leave? - Connecticut Department of Labor
• Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Overview
• Other State Laws for Paid Family and Sick Leave