The Connecticut Labor Law Guide

Minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate that employers are legally obligated to pay nonexempt employees. The federal minimum wage is a wage baseline, but different states, cities, and regions can adopt their own rates.

As of 2024, the minimum wage is $15.69 per hour for most employees.

Starting January 1st, 2025, the minimum wage will be $16.35 for most employees.

Connecticut has a state-set minimum wage. Local cities tend to follow this wage amount and do not set their own higher rates.

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Tipped minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate employers are legally obligated to pay nonexempt employees who earn a significant portion of their income through tips. 

$6.38 per hour for most tipped restaurant and hotel service employees (as of 2024)

$8.23 per hour for most tipped bartender employees (as of 2024)

Connecticut’s overtime laws require non-exempt employees to receive overtime wages at the rate of 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for every hour worked over 40 hours within a workweek.

Connecticut wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide their nonexempt employees a meal period of thirty minutes if they have worked for 7 1/2 or more consecutive hours. Some exceptions apply.

The meal break must occur at some time after the first two hours of work and before the last two hours. The Labor Commissioner will exempt an employer from this requirement if one of the following conditions is present:

• complying with this requirement would endanger public safety

• the duties of the position can only be performed by one employee

• the employer employs fewer than five employees on that shift at that one location (this only applies to employees on that particular shift) or

• the employer’s operation requires that employees be available to respond to urgent conditions and that the employees be compensated for the meal period.

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Vacation leave
Connecticut does not require employers to provide paid time off to their employees. The employer can choose to offer vacation leave at their discretion. 

Paid Sick Leave
Many Connecticut employers are required to provide paid sick and safe leave to eligible employees. In 2024, the requirement applies to all employers with 50 or more employees in Connecticut but this is scheduled to change to 25 employees in 2025, and 11 employees in 2026. 

• Eligible employees: nonexempt or hourly service workers

• Rate of accrual*: Employees must accrue at least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.

• Accrual cap: 40 hours per year 

• Carryover cap: Employees may carryover up to 40 hours of unused paid sick leave to the next calendar year. 

*Starting January 1, 2025, Connecticut’s new paid sick law will allow employees to accrue one hour for every 30 hours worked. It will apply to all employees (with limited exceptions) rather than just nonexempt “service workers.”

Also, starting January 1, 2025, the law will cover employers with more than 25 employees in Connecticut rather than 50.  

Holidays
Connecticut does not require employers to provide holiday leave to their employees.

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Connecticut has different child labor laws depending on the minor’s age and the employer’s industry. Employers must provide safe working conditions and ensure work doesn’t interfere with a minor’s education or health. 

Laws for minors 14-15:

• Minors age 14 can work as a caddie or in a pro shop at any golf course

• Minors age 15 can work in any mercantile establishment as a bagger, cashier stock clerk

• Minors age 15 can work as a staff member at a youth camp

• Minors age 15 can work as a lifeguard

• They cannot be employed more than 40 hours in any week

• They cannot work more than 8 hours on any given day

• They can work between the hours of 7 AM to 7 PM – except they can work until 9 PM from July 1 to the first Monday in September

• Work permit required

Laws for minors 16-17 enrolled in and not graduated from school:

• Restaurants - During school weeks:

  • 6 AM to 11 PM (midnight if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Restaurants - During non - school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

  • Recreational, Amusement, and Theater - During school weeks:

  • 6 AM to 11 PM (midnight if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Recreational, Amusement, and Theater - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

  • Manufacturing and Mechanical - During school weeks:

  • 6 AM to 10 PM (11 PM if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Manufacturing and Mechanical - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

• Retail/Mercantile - During school weeks:

  • 6 AM to 10 PM (11 PM if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school/ 12:00 midnight in a supermarket, if 3500 square feet, when no school the next day)

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Retail/Mercantile - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

• Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery  - During school weeks:

  • 6 AM to 10 PM

  • 6 hours per day/32 hours per week

  • 8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery - During non-school weeks:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Laws for minors 16-17 NOT enrolled in and not graduated from school:

• Retail/Mercantile:

  • 8 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

• Restaurant, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Recreation, Amusement, and Theater:

  • 9 hours per day/48 hours per week

  • 6 days per week

Hiring
In Colorado, employers must be transparent and fair throughout the hiring process. Job posters must also accurately represent the position. 

The state follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and federal laws with background checks. Employers are required to get written consent from candidates before conducting background checks.

Although recreational marijuana is legalized in Colorado, employers still have the right to enforce drug-free workplace policies and/or conduct drug testing. 

Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) requires employers to provide equal employment opportunities to candidates and prohibits discrimination in employment based on the following:

• Race

• Color

• Religion

• Sex

• Sexual orientation

• National origin

• Disability 

• Age

Firing
Colorado supports “at-will” employment laws. All Colorado employers have the right to terminate employees at will for nearly any reason and no reason at all, with the exception of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.