On July 1, 2011, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 11-52 (the “Act”) which will make Connecticut the first state to mandate paid sick leave. The Act, which only narrowly passed through Connecticut’s Senate (18-17) and House of Representatives (76-65), is set to take effect on January 1, 2012, and requires employers to allow their “service workers” to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, capped at a maximum of 40 hours per year.

The Act applies to the “service workers” of employers with 50 or more employees in Connecticut during any single quarter in the previous year. Certain manufacturers and nationally chartered nonprofit organizations are exempt from the Act’s requirements, however, it is estimated that 200,000 to 300,000 workers will be eligible for the paid leave.