CLIENT ALERT – Connecticut Passes Paid Sick Leave Act

The Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Act, which is awaiting signature by the Governor, will require employers employing 50 or more people within the state to provide qualified employees with one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked by the employee, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year. The Act, which would go into effect on January 1, 2012, applies only to service workers who are paid an hourly wage or who are otherwise not exempt from FLSA coverage. Connecticut would become the first state in the U.S. to require paid sick leave for eligible employees, following major cities including San Francisco and Washington D.C. that have passed mandatory paid sick leave legislation in recent years.