Labor & Employment

This bill prohibits employers from using electronic surveillance devices like audio recorders or closed-circuit cameras in employee areas designed for comfort or safety, such as restrooms, locker rooms, and lounges. It creates a specific exception allowing third-party vendors to operate surveillance at self-service kiosks in these areas, provided the cameras do not record sound and only monitor the checkout area and product display zones. The bill also restricts employers from requesting access to this video footage except when a theft is reported by the vendor, and it establishes fines and potential jail time for violations of these rules.

This bill requires healthcare facilities and schools to cover medical costs and pay full salary for staff injured during work-related assaults or aggressive incidents. It creates a system for reporting patient violence in digital health records (with patient appeal options) and ensures absences due to such incidents don’t count against paid leave. Directly affects healthcare workers, teachers, and school staff who face workplace violence while performing job duties.

This bill approves a four-year agreement between the State of Connecticut and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition covering approximately 42,000 state employees. The deal establishes a 2.5% general wage increase and annual increments for most workers from fiscal year 2026 through 2028, along with various other salary adjustments and benefits. The agreement includes a provision allowing for a renegotiation of wages in the final year, subject to specific conditions regarding delayed increments.