Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Policy
CONNECTICUT PAID SICK LEAVE POLICY
Employer: [COMPANY LEGAL NAME]
Effective date: [__/__/____]
HR contact: [NAME, EMAIL, PHONE]
Benefit year: [START DATE] through [END DATE]
Before you use this: In 2026, the statute covers employers with at least 11 Connecticut employees; it expands to employers with at least one Connecticut employee on January 1, 2027. Confirm the employer count and any collective bargaining exception before issuing this policy. (§§ 31-57r(2)-(3), 31-57s(a).)
1. Eligibility and accrual
Covered Connecticut employees earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, beginning on the first day of employment, up to 40 hours per benefit year. Eligible employees may use accrued time beginning on the 120th calendar day of employment. [COMPANY NAME] may grant a more generous benefit in a signed supplement. (§ 31-57s(a)-(b).)
Balance system: [SYSTEM].
Company benefit above the statutory minimum, if any: [DETAILS OR "NONE"].
Up to 40 unused accrued hours carry into the next year. Instead of carryover, the company may provide at least the required amount for immediate use at the start of the next year. Select the method used here: ☐ carryover ☐ qualifying immediate-use grant. The company may limit annual use to 40 hours. (§ 31-57s(a).)
2. Permitted uses
Employees may use leave for their own illness, injury, care, preventive care, or a mental health wellness day; for a covered family member's illness or care; for covered public-health closures or exposure risks; and for the family-violence or sexual-assault purposes listed in § 31-57t(a). HR will provide the statutory list and the § 31-57r family-member definition on request. This policy does not narrow those categories.
3. Requests, pay, and privacy
Request leave through [CONTACT / SYSTEM] as soon as practicable. State the dates and hours needed; do not send a diagnosis to a supervisor. The company will not require documentation proving a permitted purpose under § 31-57t(b), or require an employee to find a replacement under § 31-57s(h).
Leave is paid at the greater of the employee's normal hourly wage or the applicable minimum fair wage for the pay period; HR applies § 31-57s(d) when an employee's hourly wage varies. HR records hours granted, accrued, and used in [SYSTEM].
4. Notice, protection, and separation
The company provides the required written notice at hire and displays the Labor Department's English and Spanish poster. For remote workers or a workplace without a physical site, HR uses the electronic notice method permitted by § 31-57w(b). Employees may report a concern to [HR CONTACT] without retaliation. Unused statutory sick leave is not paid at separation unless a company policy or collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise. (§§ 31-57t(d), 31-57v.)
Acknowledgment
I received this policy and know how to view my balance and request leave. This acknowledgment does not waive a statutory right.
Employee: [NAME] Signature: [SIGNATURE] Date: [__/__/____]
Company representative: [NAME] Signature: [SIGNATURE] Date: [__/__/____]
About this template
- Last updated
- October 12, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 12, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Connecticut
- Category
- Employment & HR
Legal authority
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57r (definitions)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57s (accrual, use, pay)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57t (permitted uses, documentation, separation)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57v (retaliation)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57w (notice and records)
Employment documents govern the relationship between a company and its workers, from offer letters and employment agreements through handbooks, performance reviews, and separations. Done right, they set clear expectations, protect against wrongful termination and discrimination claims, and give both sides a record to rely on. Done poorly, they invite lawsuits, agency complaints, and costly disputes.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 12, 2026.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57r(3) (checked October 12, 2026): "on and after January 1, 2026, employs eleven or more individuals in the state"
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57s(a) (checked October 12, 2026): "Such paid sick leave shall accrue (1) (A) beginning (i) January 1, 2025, for an employee of an employer that employs twenty-five or more individuals in the state, (ii) January 1, 2026, for an employee of an employer that employs eleven or more individuals in the state, or (iii) January 1, 2027, for an employee of an employer that employs one or more individuals in the state, or (B) for an employee hired after said dates, beginning on the employee's first date of employment, (2) at a rate of one hour of paid sick leave for each thirty hours worked by an employee, and (3) in one-hour increments up to a maximum of forty hours per year."
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57s(b) (checked October 12, 2026): "An employee shall be entitled to the use of any accrued paid sick leave on and after the one hundred twentieth calendar day of such employee's employment."
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57s(d) (checked October 12, 2026): "Each employer shall pay each employee for paid sick leave at a pay rate equal to (1) the normal hourly wage for that employee, or (2) the minimum fair wage rate under section 31-58 in effect for the pay period during which the employee uses paid sick leave, whichever is greater."
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