Connecticut Labor Laws (2025 Guide)

What’s New in 2025

• Minimum wage increase
• Changes to paid sick leave

Labor Law Posters

Federal Labor Law Posters
State Labor Law Posters

Wage and Hour Laws

Minimum Wage

The current minimum wage in Connecticut is $16.35/hour. This applies to most employees with some exceptions:

Employees can pay minor employees—those under 18 years—a reduced minimum wage of $13.90/hour (85% of the adult rate). However, employers can pay this lower rate only for the first 90 consecutive days of a minor’s first day of work. If a minor employee turns 18 during the 90-day period, their employer must then pay them the full minimum wage.

Connecticut’s minimum wage doesn’t apply to outdoor salespersons as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Tipped Minimum Wage

Connecticut allows employers to count employee tips towards the minimum wage in some situations. 

The tipped minimum wage is:

• $6.38/hour for hotel and restaurant employees.
• $8.23/hour for bartenders.

This means employers can pay a reduced minimum wage—but only when employees’ tips bring their total hourly earnings up to or above the full minimum wage.

Overtime Laws

Connecticut’s overtime laws generally follow the federal FLSA. Employers must pay employees 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for all overtime hours. 

Overtime hours are hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Daily overtime (pay for work performed beyond a set number of daily hours) and overtime pay for weekend or holiday work isn’t mandatory unless there’s an explicit agreement between the employer and employee.

Hotel and restaurant staff must be paid the overtime rate for all hours they work on their 7th consecutive day of work.

Overtime pay laws don’t apply to: 

• Agricultural workers.
• Executive, administrative, professional employees.
• Automobile salespeople as defined by the Labor Commissioner.
• Drivers and helpers subject to US Secretary of Transportation rules.
• Outside salespeople as defined by the FLSA.

Exemption for salaried employees

Connecticut and federal law set the terms for minimum wage and overtime exemption. To be exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements, employees must satisfy both the Duties Test and the Salary Test. 

The FLSA Duties Test looks at the actual work an employee does, regardless of their job title. It outlines certain duties that can make employees who perform them exempt. (See examples of exempt-qualifying primary duties.)

Connecticut law adds that employees must regularly use discretion and independent judgment when performing these tasks as their primary duties to qualify as exempt.  

The Salary Test sets minimum salary thresholds for different roles. The FLSA currently exempts Executive, Administrative, and professional employees (except lawyers, doctors, and teachers) who earn $684 or more per week.

Break Laws

Meal Breaks

In Connecticut, employers must give adult employees who work 7.5 consecutive hours a meal break of at least 30 minutes. The employee must take their meal break after their first 2 hours of work and before their last 2 hours of work. 

The law doesn’t say whether the meal break must be paid or unpaid.

Some employees are exempt from Connecticut’s meal break laws:

• State Board of Education-certified professionals.
• Executive, administrative, and professional employees as defined by the Labor Commissioner.  
• Outside salespeople as defined by the FLSA.

By regulation, employers may be exempt from providing meal breaks to certain employees in situations where:

• Following the meal break rule would endanger public safety.
• A job’s duties can be performed only by 1 employee.
• Duties involve continuous operations under specific conditions.
• The employer has fewer than 5 employees on a shift at a single place of business.

Connecticut doesn’t have separate meal break laws for minor employees.

Rest Breaks

Connecticut state laws don’t require employers to provide paid rest breaks. 

No unpaid rest breaks are required in addition to the mandatory meal breaks. However, if employers choose to offer rest breaks are are covered by the FLSA, they must comply with the FLSA’s guidance on breaks and meal periods, which requires any breaks of up to 20 minutes to be paid.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Employers must keep records of:

• Employees’ names, home addresses, and occupations.
• Working certificates for employees under 18.
• Total daily and weekly hours worked (to the nearest unit of 15 minutes).
• Total hourly, daily, or weekly basic wages.
• Overtime pay.
• Details of additions to and deductions from employees’ pay.
• Total wages paid for each pay period.

Scheduling Laws

Connecticut currently has no predictive scheduling laws. 

However, Connecticut is considering introducing these, so watch for developments in this space.

Employee Compensation and Benefits

Reporting Time Pay

In some situations, employers must pay employees for going to work even when there’s no work for them to do—e.g., because the business closes or the employee’s shift changes without notification. However, employers need to pay this only when employees go to work at the employer’s request or with their permission.

In these situations, Connecticut employers must pay a minimum of 4 hours’ work for employees in the following types of businesses:

• Beauty shops.
• Laundry, cleaning, and dyeing operations.
• Mercantile trades.

If the shift an employee reported to work for is less than 4 hours, the employer may be eligible for a waiver.

Hotel and restaurant employees must be paid 2 hours for reporting to work.

Payday Frequency and Method

Employers must pay Connecticut employees weekly. Employers can apply to the Labor Commissioner for permission to pay less frequently. The longest interval between paydays is monthly.

Employees can be paid by: 

• Cash.
• Check.
• Direct deposit into a bank account (upon written request from the employee).
• Payroll card (additional requirements apply). 

There must be a regular payday set in advance. If the payday is on a non-work day, employers must pay employees on an earlier work day.

Paystub Requirements

Connecticut employers must give employees pay stubs—either in written or electronic form—each payday. To abide by Connecticut’s wage laws, these pay stubs must include specific information:

• Hours worked (unless the employee is exempt under state and federal minimum wage laws).
• Gross earnings, with separate entries for straight time and overtime.
• Itemized deductions.
• Net earnings.
• Paid sick leave details.

Wage Deductions and Garnishments

In Connecticut, employers can deduct or divert portions of employee wages for:

• Legal requirements—like taxes, social security, Medicare, etc.
• Authorized medical and insurance premiums.
• Authorized retirement contributions.
• Court-ordered garnishments.

Employers can garnish wages for debts only when all the following conditions are met:

• A court has sent the employer notice of a judgment against one of their employees.
• The employee hasn’t complied with an installment payment order.
• The employee isn’t getting state benefits such as welfare.
• The employee isn’t on a work incentive or similar program.
• The employer has given the employee a copy of the garnishment order.

The most Connecticut employers can withhold for garnishments is the lesser of the following amounts:

• 25% of the employee’s weekly disposable earnings.
• The amount at which the employee’s weekly disposable earnings exceed 40 times Connecticut’s minimum wage.

Disposable earnings are what’s left from wages after all legally required deductions, like taxes, have been made.

Employers must wait 20 days from the date of the order before they garnish wages.

Garnishments related to child support, federal student loans, and federal taxes fall under federal law.

Final Paycheck Laws

Final paycheck payment times depend on the circumstances of the employee’s departure:

• Involuntary departure: By the next business day after discharge.
• Voluntary departure: By the next scheduled payday.

Workers’ Compensation

The Workers’ Compensation Act covers most employees in Connecticut who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. It also protects employers from liability.

It establishes a compensation system that pays benefits regardless of who was at fault—except when the injury was due to the employee’s serious misconduct or intoxication.

Connecticut requires most employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, even if they have just 1 employee. 

Here are the limited exceptions to having workers’ compensation insurance:

• Employers who prove to the Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC) that they can pay compensation may be able to self-insure.
• Sole proprietors, partnerships, multi-member LLCs, and corporate officers don’t have to cover themselves under workers’ compensation—but must provide coverage for their employees.

Most Connecticut employers buy workers’ compensation insurance from private insurance carriers. Businesses that can’t obtain private coverage can contact the Connecticut Insurance Department for assistance.

Employees of unlawfully uninsured employers can apply to the Second Injury Fund for benefits.

Connecticut’s workers’ compensation system enables benefits for:

• Medical costs.
• Lost wages.
• Temporary disability.
• Permanent disability.
• Vocational rehabilitation.
• Death benefits and burial expenses.

Whenever an employee reports a work-related injury or illness, their employer must complete and file an Employer’s First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness form with their insurance provider and the WCC.

Employees and employers involved in compensation disputes can request an Informal Hearing through the WCC. Before applying for a hearing, the disputing parties must first try to resolve the dispute.

If the dispute isn’t resolved, it’ll progress to a Formal Hearing. A small number of complex disputes go directly to a Formal Hearing for resolution.

The Compensation Review Board (CRB) hears appeals of Formal Hearings. Subsequent disagreements may be appealed to the Appellate Court, and then—very rarely—to the State Supreme Court.

Unemployment Insurance

Workers in Connecticut who’ve lost their jobs are entitled to benefits through Connecticut’s unemployment insurance (UI) program, provided they meet the eligibility requirements. 

The program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL). Employers must obtain an Employer Account Number (EAN) through the ReEmployCT portal, file quarterly wage and tax reports, and pay UI taxes electronically.

To qualify, employees must:

• Have earned sufficient wages in the 12 to 18 months before claiming.

• Be able and available to work.

• Be actively looking for work. (This requires completing a minimum of 3 work search activities a week, with 1 being contacting an employer).

• Have lost their jobs, or had their hours reduced, through no fault of their own. (The “no fault” rule may not apply to employees who left their job for a “good cause” related to the job—like unsafe working conditions—or if they or their child were a victim of certain crimes.)

A worker can file an initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits online through the ReEmployCT system. The CTDOL will then conduct a fact-finding process to determine eligibility and benefit amount.

The weekly amount is based on the claimant’s average wages from the 2 highest quarters in their “base period.” The base period is the first 4 of the last 5 quarters before they filed their claim.

The maximum weekly amount is $721, and the maximum duration to receive unemployment benefits is 26 weeks. Connecticut doesn’t usually provide extended benefits.

To continue receiving benefits, an individual must complete and file a weekly claim certificate via the ReEmployCT system.

Workplace Rights and Protections

Discrimination and Harassment

The Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (CFEPA) extends federal protections by making it unlawful for all employers to discriminate against employees or job applicants based on protected characteristics.

Protected characteristics include:

• Race (includes discrimination against natural hair styles and textures).
• Religion.
• Gender.
• Sexual orientation.
• Disability.
• Age.
• Marital status.
• National origin.
• Victims of domestic violence.

In Connecticut, employees only need to prove that discrimination based on a protected characteristic was a “motivating factor” for the employer’s action—it doesn’t have to have been the sole reason. 

Employees who experience discrimination can file a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO).

Leave Laws

✅ Family and Medical Leave	The Connecticut Family & Medical Leave Act (CTFMLA) mandates unpaid, protected leave for eligible employees experiencing certain family and medical events: • Their own serious medical condition. • A family member with a serious health condition. • The birth of a child. • The adoption or foster care placement of a child. • The employee’s donation of an organ or bone marrow. • “Qualifying exigencies” when a spouse, son, daughter or parent is on active duty in the armed forces. • A close family member with a serious injury or illness sustained during active duty. The CTFMLA applies to all employers in Connecticut, even if they have just 1 employee. However, employees must be employed for 3 months to become eligible for CTFMLA leave. Employees can take up to 12 weeks CTFMLA leave in a 12-month period. Employers: • Must reinstate the employee to their job or an equivalent position when they return from leave. • May ask employees to complete a medical certification form. • Can’t discriminate against employees for requesting or taking CTFMLA leave.
✅ Paid Sick Leave	From January 1, 2025, Connecticut’s paid sick leave law covers all employees of companies with more than 25 employees (it was previously 50+ service workers).  The number of employees needed to trigger coverage under Connecticut’s Paid Sick Leave Act will decrease yearly until January 1, 2027 when it’ll apply to employers of at least 1 employee. • Accrual rate: From January 1, 2025, 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (previously, it was 1 hour for every 40 hours worked). • Pay rate: The employee’s regular hourly rate or Connecticut’s minimum wage, whichever is greater. Employees can start using their accrued paid sick leave after 120 calendar days of employment. Temporary and seasonal workers who work fewer than 120 days aren’t eligible. Construction workers on multi-employer health plans may also be excluded.
❌ Paid Family Leave	Paid family leave isn’t mandatory for employers. An employee can file an application with the CT Paid Leave Authority for income replacement via the state’s CT Paid Leave Program.
✅ Pregnancy and Parental Leave	Employees with pregnancy-related disabilities are entitled to unpaid leave. However, employers don’t have to provide pregnancy leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided. The CTFMLA provides some unpaid leave related to birth, adoption, and fostering (see above). An additional 2 weeks of leave may be available if the employee experiences pregnancy-related health conditions. Both parents are eligible for leave, regardless of gender. Employees who take pregnancy or CTFMLA leave are entitled to reinstatement to their jobs or an equivalent position on their return.
❌ Vacation and Personal Leave	Connecticut doesn’t require employers to provide paid or unpaid vacation or personal leave. If employers choose to offer vacation or personal leave, it must comply with the terms of the relevant employment contracts, relevant policies, and collective bargaining agreements.

Other Mandatory Leave

Military Leave	Connecticut employers must give military leave for drills, parades, and other duties to employees who are in the armed forces or members of the reserve corps of the US armed forces. Employers: • Can’t dictate when employees can take military leave or limit its duration. • Should raise any concerns about leave with the appropriate military authority. • Must reinstate employees in their former positions after they return from leave. Military leave shouldn’t reduce employees’ vacation or holiday leave—or lead to discrimination in promotions or continuation of employment. State law entitles any officers and employees of any town, city, or borough to the difference between their military compensation and usual salary during military leave. The municipal employer is responsible for paying this. Employees in the armed forces and Civil Air Patrol are entitled to unpaid leave to respond to emergencies. State law doesn’t specify any maximum length.
Jury Duty Leave	Employers must pay full-time employees their regular wages for the first 5 days of jury service.  Employees shouldn’t penalize employees for serving on a jury. If an employer demonstrates financial hardship, they may be excused from this obligation. If excused, the state compensates the employee up to $50 per day.
Voting Leave	Connecticut law requires employers to allow all employees up to 2 hours of unpaid leave to vote. Employees must request this leave at least 2 days before the election.
Organ Donor Leave	State employees are entitled to 15 days’ paid leave following an organ donation, and up to 7 days’ paid leave after donating bone marrow.
Witness Leave	Employees are entitled to unpaid leave to:  • Respond to subpoenas as witnesses in any criminal proceedings. • Attend civil proceedings as victims of family violence.  • Obtain restraining orders. Employers should also give employees unpaid leave to participate in court proceedings and criminal investigations in which the employees are victims.
Emergency Response Leave	Volunteer firefighters, ambulance personnel, American Red Cross disaster volunteers, or canine search & rescue team members may take paid leave to respond to emergencies. American Red Cross-certified disaster volunteers are entitled to 15 days of paid leave. In some circumstances, employees can take emergency response leave without prior approval. Emergency response leave shouldn’t reduce vacation time, sick leave, or earned overtime accumulation.

Child Labor Laws

The minimum age for employment in Connecticut is 16. However, employers can employ children aged 14-15 in some roles.

Employers must have an employment certificate for every employee under 18.

Federal regulations and Connecticut law prohibit under-18s from occupations deemed hazardous by the Department of Labor. 

Work hour restrictions

	Under-16s	16 and 17-year-olds enrolled in and not graduated from school	16 and 17-year-olds not enrolled in and not graduated from school
Maximum daily and weekly hours	Mercantile establishments during school vacations of 5 or more consecutive days: • 8 hours/day • 40 hours/week • 6 days/week	Restaurant, recreational, amusement, theater, manufacturing, mechanical, retail, hairdressing, bowling alley, pool hall, or photography gallery establishments: Non-school weeks: • 8 hours/day • 48 hours/week • 6 days/week School weeks: Monday–Thursday: • 6 hours Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: • 8 hours • 32 hours/week	Retail/mercantile establishments: • Up to 8 hours/day • Up to 48 hours/week • Up to 6 days/week Restaurants, manufacturing, mechanical, recreation, amusement, and theater establishments: • Up to 9 hours/day • Up to 48 hours/week • Up to 6 days/week
Nightwork	Under-16s shouldn’t work after 7pm. Exception: From July 1 to the first Monday in September, this extends to 9pm.	Restaurants, recreation, amusement, and theaters:  • No work 11p–6am. Exception: If the next day isn’t a school day, can work until midnight. Manufacturing, mechanical, and retail:  • No work 10pm–6am. Exceptions: If the next day isn’t a school day, can work until 11pm–or midnight in supermarkets over 3,500 sq. ft. Hairdressing, bowling Alleys, pool halls, photography galleries: • No work 10pm–6am.	Restaurants, recreation, amusement, and theaters:  • No work midnight–6am. Manufacturing, mechanical, and retail:  • No work 11pm–6am. Exception: Can work until midnight in supermarkets over 3,500 sq. ft. Hairdressing, bowling alleys, pool halls, photography galleries: • No work 10pm–6am.

Agricultural

Minors must be 16 to work in agriculture during school hours. However, 14 and 15-year-olds can work agricultural jobs outside school hours—but must have an employment certificate and proof of age or an agriculture permit.

Work limits for these minors working in agriculture are:

• 8 hours/day.
• 48 hours/week.
• No restriction on days per week.

Entertainment

In Connecticut, a minor doesn’t need a permit to work in entertainment, but under-16s must have age certificates and authorization from the labor commissioner to work in the theatrical industry.

Workplace Safety and Health

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulates most private employers in Connecticut. The Connecticut Occupational Safety & Health Act (CONN_OSHA) follows similar standards but applies to public employers, such as state and local government agencies.

The main employer obligations under OSHA are:

• Ensuring a safe, hazard-free workplace. 
• Adhering to relevant health laws, regulations, and standards. 
• Providing necessary safety tools and equipment.
• Conducting safety and health training sessions appropriate to employees’ duties.
• Ensuring potential hazards have warning signs, labels, or posters. 
• Prominently displaying OSHA posters where required. 
• Keeping workplace injury and illness records. 
• Reporting any fatalities to OSHA within 8 hours and any inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.
• Cooperating with OSHA inspections.

There are additional OSHA standards for specific industries. 

OSHA gives employees the right to:

• Refuse to work in unsafe conditions.
• Access workplace injury and illness records.
• File confidential safety and health complaints with OSHA.
• Request OSHA inspections.

Labor Union Regulations

Connecticut isn’t a right-to-work state. Employers can require employees to join a union as a condition of employment in unionized workplaces.

The federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects the rights of private employees to unionize and act together to improve workplace conditions, even if they’re not in a union, and guarantees their right to collective bargaining.

Employment Contracts and Severance

Employment Contract Laws

Connecticut is an at-will employment state. This means employers and employees can terminate employment at any time for any lawful reason, with or without notice.

There are profession-specific statutes regulating non-compete agreements for security guards and broadcast employees, but Connecticut has no general non-compete statute. 

For all other employees, the enforceability of non-compete agreements is evaluated by a 5-factor test:

1. How long the restriction lasts.
2. What the geographic scope of the restriction is.
3. Whether it’s necessary to protect the employer’s legitimate business interests.
4. How much it restricts the employee’s ability to find work.
5. The extent of interference with the public interest.

Severance Pay

Severance pay isn’t required by law in Connecticut. Employers that choose to provide severance pay must ensure it complies with any relevant employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements, and policies.

Additional State-Specific Employment Laws

Mass layoffs	The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers of 100 or more full-time employees to give 60 days’ advance written notice before mass layoffs. Connecticut imposes additional obligations: When a covered employer with 100 or more employees permanently closes or moves out of state, they must continue to provide health insurance for employees and dependents for 120 days.
Mini-COBRA	Connecticut’s mini-COBRA law ensures that employees can continue their health insurance coverage when their hours are reduced or they lose their jobs. It covers businesses with fewer than 20 employees and extends the continuation of health coverage to 30 months.
Cessation of healthcare benefits	Employers that provide group health insurance coverage must give employees 30 days’ written notice of its discontinuation.
Independent contractor test	The Connecticut Department of Labor uses the strict, 3-part ABC Test to determine whether a worker qualifies as an independent contractor. To be classified as an independent contractor, the worker must meet all 3 factors: • The worker works independently, free from the employer’s control or direction in performing the service. • The worker’s service is performed outside the employer’s usual course of business and/or outside all the employer’s places of business. • The worker is customarily engaged in an independently established business of the same nature as the service performed.

Legal Resources for Employers and Employees

Employers and employees looking for help or further information about Connecticut’s employment and labor laws should visit the:

• Connecticut Department of Labor for information on labor laws, employee rights, and more.
• Connecticut Law Library for law resources.
• Connecticut Bar Association for information on free legal advice clinics and help finding a labor law attorney.

Disclaimer

The information presented on this website about labor laws in Connecticut is a summary for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. However, laws and regulations regularly change and may vary depending on individual circumstances. While we have made every effort to ensure the information provided is up to date and reliable, we cannot guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or applicability to your specific situation. Therefore, we strongly recommend that readers seek guidance from their legal department or a qualified attorney to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented on this website.