Connecticut Expands Protections for Workers Including Victims of Assault

Connecticut has enacted legislation addressing wage theft in the building trades, job protections for services workers, and compensation for workers who are assaulted on the job, including nurses and teachers.

The new law also requires employers to disclose position wage ranges and general benefit descriptions in job postings.

Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 26-12, noting that the omnibus bill passed with bipartisan support. He called the new provisions “commonsense safeguards on behalf of those who keep our state and our economy running.”

The omnibus measure includes enhanced workers’ compensation for assaulted workers. Teachers, health care providers, and related employees who cannot work due to an on-the-job assault will now receive 100% of their average weekly earnings (versus the standard 75% after-tax cap), plus medical expenses and lost wages for court appearances.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) has reported that workplace assaults have been increasing in number, with healthcare workers and teachers most often being the victims.

Workers’ Comp: What to Know About Workplace Violence; Victims Are Most Often Healthcare Workers and Teachers

More than 70% of private industry workplace assault claims occur in the healthcare and social assistance sector, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The increased benefits for assaulted workers is just one of the 75 provisions in Public Act 26-12. Others include:

Construction contractor and subcontractor joint liability for unpaid wages: For construction contracts executed on or after January 1, 2027, general contractors are jointly and severally liable for wages that their subcontractor fails to pay its workers.

Retention of service contract workers: Entities taking over service contracts at covered locations (multifamily housing with more than 50 units, commercial centers over 75,000 square feet, airports, schools, hospitals, warehouses, private colleges, and others) must retain the prior contractor’s employees for at least 90 days. After 90 days, satisfactory performers must receive an offer of continued employment.

Teacher termination process: The bill creates a fair termination process with a binding decision from an impartial hearing officer, offering the same protections provided to other public service workers, such as police officers and firefighters.

Wage range and benefits disclosure: The bill expands existing pay transparency laws to require employers to include both a wage range and a general benefits description (such as health insurance, retirement, fringe, paid leave, or other compensation) in all public and internal job postings.

First responder tuition and mortgage assistance: State community colleges and universities must waive tuition for eligible police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel, and the Connecticut Home Finance Authority must develop a mortgage assistance program for first responders buying homes in the communities where they serve.

Breastfeeding/expressing milk: Requires employers to provide reasonable break time for breastfeeding or pumping in addition to scheduled breaks (current law only permits use of existing meal/break time).

Also the state Department of Labor (DOL) must update its veteran employment webpage with links to training, counseling, and veteran-friendly employers, and optimize it for search engines. The state Department of Veterans Affairs must send periodic newsletters linking to the page, and the DOL must study AI-based tools for connecting veterans and service members with employers.

“It feels really important to finally get this bill done,” said Sen. Kushner, who is Senate chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. “It contains pieces of legislation that we’ve been working on for years: teachers not being treated fairly, nurses who suffer assault, wage theft in the construction industry, people who have worked for 20 years at a company and then are given two weeks’ notice that their contract isn’t going to be renewed. These are real-life issues affecting working families in Connecticut.”

Topics
Connecticut