Labor & Employment (Labor Standards) in Connecticut

passed · Connecticut · House Apr 29, 2026

HR 12: RESOLUTION PROPOSING APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AND THE STATE EMPLOYEES BARGAINING AGENT COALITION (SEBAC).

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.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards Public Employees

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 436: AN ACT CONCERNING ADVANCED NOTICE OF AN EMPLOYEE'S WORK SCHEDULE BY AN EMPLOYER.

This bill requires employers in retail, food services, hospitality, and long-term health care to provide employees with advance notice of their work schedules. It applies to larger employers, such as those with 500 or more employees globally or food service businesses with 500+ employees and 30+ locations. The law mandates that employers give employees at least 14 days' notice of their scheduled shifts, with exceptions for new hires and last-minute changes that must be communicated as soon as possible. Employers must also obtain written statements from new employees about their availability and desired work hours, and they must pay overtime if schedule changes result in additional hours worked beyond the original estimate.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

signed · Connecticut · Senate Jun 2, 2026

SB 439: AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE DEVICES AND SYSTEMS AND SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS IN EMPLOYEE LOUNGES.

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.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 92: AN ACT ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR WAREHOUSE WORKERS.

SB 92 requires large warehouse employers (with 250+ workers at one site or 1,000+ across sites) to provide workers with written descriptions of all performance quotas, including potential penalties for not meeting them, before July 1, 2027. The bill prohibits quotas from interfering with meal breaks, bathroom access, or counting breaks toward productivity goals. Employers must maintain records of work speed data and quota details for three years, and workers can request their personal data and aggregated team data. This directly affects warehouse workers in large distribution centers and their employers in the state, starting July 2027.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Workplace Safety

in committee · Connecticut · Senate Apr 2, 2026

SB 348: AN ACT CONCERNING PORTAL-TO-PORTAL WORKERS' COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.

SB 348 extends workers' compensation coverage to public works department employees for their commutes to and from work under specific conditions. It adds public works employees to the list of workers whose "departure from place of abode directly to duty" and "return directly to place of abode after duty" count as employment time for coverage purposes. This applies when employees are subject to emergency calls off-duty, responding to direct work orders during excused nonessential staff periods, or following two or more consecutive mandatory overtime shifts. The law, effective October 1, 2026, directly affects state and municipal public works employees who perform construction, maintenance, or regulatory work on public infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workers' Compensation

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 5275: AN ACT CONCERNING A CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNPAID WAGES ON A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.

HB 5275 requires construction contractors to be jointly responsible for paying unpaid wages owed to workers by their subcontractors on covered projects. It directly affects construction workers, contractors, and subcontractors working on most private construction, renovation, or rehabilitation projects (excluding public works and small residential homes). The key provision makes contractors liable for subcontractors' unpaid wages, effective October 1, 2026, while allowing contractors to include wage payment clauses in contracts - provided these don’t limit workers’ legal rights. The bill also updates wage recovery procedures under existing law, ensuring workers can seek double wages plus fees for unpaid compensation.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

in committee · Connecticut · House Feb 9, 2026

HB 5089: AN ACT EXEMPTING OVERTIME WAGES, TIPS OR GRATUITIES AND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FROM THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX.

HB 5089 would exempt overtime wages, tips or gratuities, and Social Security benefits from the state's personal income tax. This directly affects workers who earn overtime pay, receive tips (like in restaurants), or rely on Social Security benefits as part of their income. The bill's key mechanism is amending tax law to remove these specific income sources from taxable personal income. It does not change tax rates for other income types, focusing solely on these exemptions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Income Tax Sales Tax Labor Standards Minimum Wage

in committee · Connecticut · House Feb 20, 2026

HB 5010: AN ACT EXEMPTING TIPS OR GRATUITIES AND OVERTIME PAY FROM THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX.

HB 5010 would amend state tax law to exclude tips or gratuities and overtime pay from taxable personal income. This change directly affects workers who earn these specific income types, such as servers, hospitality staff, and hourly employees receiving overtime. The bill's key provision requires updating the tax code to remove these earnings from the base used to calculate personal income tax. As a result, individuals would pay income tax only on their regular wages, not on declared tips or overtime earnings.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Income Tax Labor Standards Minimum Wage

in committee · Connecticut · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 5051: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PERSONAL INCOME TAX DEDUCTION FOR TIPS OR GRATUITIES AND OVERTIME PAY.

HB 5051 would allow Connecticut taxpayers to deduct tips or gratuities and overtime pay from their state personal income tax, but only for amounts already deductible on federal income tax returns. This directly affects service industry workers (like servers or hospitality staff) and employees who regularly earn overtime, potentially reducing their state tax burden. The bill’s key mechanism is aligning Connecticut’s tax deduction with federal tax rules, meaning the state would mirror the federal treatment of these income types. It does not create new deductions but expands existing federal-eligible deductions to state tax filings. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Carney, Pavalock-D’Amato, Polletta, and Vail.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Income Tax Labor Standards

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 5387: AN ACT CONCERNING DISCLOSURE OF WAGE RANGES AND BENEFITS ON PUBLIC AND INTERNAL JOB ADVERTISEMENTS.

HB 5387 requires all employers in Connecticut (including public and private entities) to include a wage range and general description of benefits in every public and internal job advertisement. It mandates that employers provide applicants with the wage range for a position upon request or before discussing compensation, and give current employees the wage range for their role when hired, changing positions, or upon request. The bill prohibits employers from banning wage discussions, requiring secrecy waivers, or retaliating against employees who discuss pay. It also bans asking about salary history during hiring, except where permitted by federal or state law. This law takes effect October 1, 2026, aiming to increase pay transparency for job seekers and workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

All labor & employment bills