HARTFORD, CT – As the session speeds to a finish, the Senate voted Monday to send the House’s paid sick days expansion bill to Gov. Ned Lamont.
The legislation, House Bill 5005, would expand Connecticut’s paid sick days program to private sector employees of small businesses and is one of the priority labor bills for the Democratic Party.
The bill passed on a vote of 23-12 along party lines, with one absent or not voting.
Sen. Julie Kushner, a Democrat from Danbury who co-chairs the Labor and Public Employees Committee, said that the bill does a good job of building on the original paid sick days law that was passed in 2011 – which made Connecticut a leader among state legislatures on the topic.
Now, she said, it is time to update that policy.
“It took a long time, but I’m very proud that we’ve gotten to the point today that, through this legislation, we will be expanding paid sick days to every worker in Connecticut,” she said.
Kushner said the bill is critical not just for employees of smaller businesses in the state, but for public health as a whole. Democrats say that workers should not have to choose between staying home sick – or taking care of family incidents or loved ones – and missing a paycheck.
The bill calls for a three-year phase-in to require businesses with as few as one employee to provide what was referred to as “paid time off” rather than paid sick leave. The phase-in would include businesses with 25 or more employees in year one, those with 11 or more employees in year two, and then those with one or more employees – including sole proprietor business owners – in year three.
Current statute only applies to businesses with 50 or more employees.
In order to be eligible to earn paid sick time – which is accrued at a rate of one hour per 30 hours worked – an employee must work 120 days in a calendar year.
The bill drew opposition from Republicans in the upper chamber, who echoed the sentiments of those in the house – that the bill puts too much strain on the state’s small businesses, and too strongly lays the government’s weight on the side of workers at the negotiating table between them and employers.
Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, said that the bill will not, in fact, cover “every worker” in the state, and that it favors workers who engage in collective bargaining. “The fact of the matter this bill denies the freedom to make a negotiation for both parties.”
Sampson proposed an amendment to the bill that would have stricken some language pertaining to employees who are members of labor unions. He said that language lends itself to inequity among the members of the state’s workforce.
The amendment was rejected with a vote of 12-24 along party lines.
In all, several amendments to the bill were proposed by Republicans with all of them being rejected along party lines.
Sarah Ganong, State Director of Connecticut Working Families Party, celebrated the vote in a statement.
“Today’s Senate passage of H.B. 5005 extends essential paid sick days to more workers across our state,” Ganong said. “By ensuring all workers can address their health needs without the threat of financial hardship, we’ll support families and make our communities stronger.”
She also said the final 23-12 vote “reflects Connecticut’s commitment to the rights and well-being of workers. It is also an endorsement of the tireless dedication of hundreds of advocates, volunteers, and community leaders who since passage of the original law in 2011 have championed extending paid sick days to every worker in our state. Their support and mobilization have been instrumental in this achievement.”
