Effective July 1, 2024, municipalities in Connecticut must provide service animal leave to employees with disabilities. The benefit is available to full-time employees in permanent (non-temporary) positions who have a disability and who have been employed for at least twelve consecutive months. An employee meeting these requirements is permitted to use accumulated paid sick leave, not to exceed 20 days, to participate in training so that the employee is prepared to handle a service animal for the employee’s own use. Employees may be required to provide up to seven days’ advance notice of the intent to use this leave and the employee may need to provide reasonable documentation that the leave is being taken for this reason. Notably, this law does not appear to require granting additional leave time – only allowing the use of accumulated paid sick time for this purpose.
In addition to municipalities, the state and quasi-public agencies must provide this benefit as well.
For purposes of this law, a “service animal” means “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. . . . The crime deterrent effects of an animal’s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition.” The term also includes animals in training to become a service animal.
All employers should consider that allowing an employee to take time off in connection with training or obtaining a service animal may be a reasonable accommodation for an employee with a disability.
Complying with state and federal disability rights laws can be complicated. The labor and employment attorneys at Berchem Moses PC can help ensure your processes are compliant with all applicable laws.