Advocacy in Action | January 23, 2025
Webinar Recap: Paid Sick Leave Law
In case you missed it, the CRA & Ryan O'Donnell of Pullman & Comley held a CRA Engage Webinar: Understanding the New CT Paid Sick Leave Law. Below, you can find key takeaways from the new law, webinar recording, and presentation.
Who does this NOT apply to? (Exempt)
- Seasonal employees (Defined as an employee who works 119 days or less in any given year).
- Self-employed individuals
Accrual of Paid Sick Leave
- The employee accrues sick leave at a rate of 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked* by the employee. *Does not accrue during paid or unpaid time off
- Accrual begins January 1 or first day of employment.
- Accrual begins on day one, but employees can only use accrued hours 120 calendar days after their date of hire.
- Employee can only use a total of 40 hours of sick leave per year (40 is cap).
Key Takeaways
The verbiage of the new statue is broad, in that it states that employees may take paid sick days for own illness, injury, or health condition including mental/self-health care. The statute also expands to cover employees who care for family members (see PowerPoint for details).
This may affect a business’s “call out” policy in that there is NO advance notice requirements for use of paid sick leave – employees may opt to use paid sick leave as soon as “practicable”. NOTE: This means that if your business has requirements within any contract, handbook, etc., for an employee to provide notice within a certain number or hours of calling out or requesting time off, these need to be revised ASAP in accordance with state law.
Employers must disclose this new policy & information to all employees no later than January 1, 2025 (or upon hire) by means of written notice and labor poster. (Links Below)
Operators are encouraged to reach out to their POS System providers and/or Payroll Service providers, as these companies may have plans in place to track and document employee hours and Paid Sick Leave accrual and usage.
Key Questions & Answers
When does the tracking of the accrued hours start?
Tracking of accrued hours begins January 1 of the calendar year, or their first day of employment.
Are part-time employees eligible?
Yes. The accrual is not based on full-time status; rather, any covered employee must be allowed to accrue paid sick leave hours based on the hours worked.
If an employee quits or is terminated, are they owed the accrued hours?
No.
Do employees get their normal hourly pay for the sick leave hours they use?
It depends. Each employer must pay either the normal hourly wage for the employee or the minimum fair wage rate under CT General Statutes Sec. 31-58, whichever is greater.
Can an employee swap shifts with a coworker in lieu of using paid sick leave?
An employee can swap shifts with a coworker instead of using paid sick leave, but it must be both voluntary and mutually consented to by the employees and the employer.
Helpful Links
- CT DOL Mandatory Labor Posters - Poster English | Poster Spanish
Employees must display English and Spanish posters in conspicuous and accessible areas - CT DOL Model Written Notice for every employee - Model Notice
Recommend to include notice in Employee Handbook - Pullman & Comley Blog Article on Expanded Paid Sick Leave - Blog Post
- CT DOL Paid Sick Leave FAQ - LINK
If you have questions, members are advised to consult with legal counsel. A reminder that CRA members receive complimentary consultations with Ryan O’Donnell as a benefit of membership, as well as special member pricing on legal services. Thank you to Ryan for being such an invaluable resource to our members. Click here to email Ryan.
For additional information, resources, or to learn more about your member benefits, please reach out to a CRA team member directly.
Legislative Committee Meeting
The CRA Legislative Committee gathered at J.Timothy's Taverne for the first Legislative Committee meeting of the 2025 season.
The group discussed upcoming issues expected to arise during this year's Session, strategies and priorities.
If you are interested in participating in the Legislative Committee, please email us.
The Start of Session: Bills on our Radar
The Connecticut Restaurant Association actively monitors a wide range of legislation throughout each legislative session. During the first weeks of the 2025 Legislative Session, several bills of interest were introduced. It's important to note that the introduction of a bill does not guarantee its passage.
To give you a sense of the breadth and variety of legislation we are tracking, here are just a few of the bills currently on our radar. Should any of these bills progress through the legislative process, we will provide timely updates and additional information to keep you informed. The below webpage will be updated weekly.
A reminder, the introduction of a bill does not guarantee its passage, and we will provide updates as needed.
National Restaurant Association: Statement on the Introduction of the No Tax on Tips Act of 2025
Lasst week, Sen. Ted Cruz introduced the No Tax on Tips Act of 2025. The bill will eliminate income tax on the tips earned by servers and bartenders in the restaurant and foodservice industry.
Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of Public Affairs for the National Restaurant Association had this to say about the bill: “Eliminating taxes on tips would put cash back in the pocket of a significant number of workers in the restaurant and foodservice industry and could help restaurant operators recruit industry workforce. The No Tax on Tips Act of 2025 is sensible legislation that includes refinements and protections to make it fiscally responsible while still supporting our employees.
“Tax policy plays a major role in the success of the restaurant industry, so we’ll continue to work with Congress on this and other common-sense tax policy that will stimulate investments and improvements in restaurants of all sizes and help operators make greater investments in their workforce and communities.”