Last night, the State Senate approved increasing Connecticut’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2023 and the bill is headed to the Governor’s desk. Under the bill, minimum wage increases to $11 per hour effective October 1, 2019 and then incrementally by one dollar per year thereafter, reaching $15 by June 1, 2023. The Governor is expected to sign the legislation.
In addition, beginning January 1, 2024, annual minimum wage increases will index to the federal employment cost index for “wages and salaries for all civilian workers”. Also, starting October 1, 2019, the bill changes the “training wage” in Connecticut. The new law eliminates the training wage exceptions for “learners and beginners” and limits the training wage to only those under age 18, allowing training wage to be paid only in the first 90 days of employment, rather than the first 200 hours. The training wage has to be the greater of $10.10 per hour or 85 percent of the minimum wage.
The Labor and Employment attorneys at Berchem Moses PC can help employers keep up to date on the legislative changes impacting the workplace and maintain compliance with any new obligations.