Minimum wage in Connecticut in 2026

Each employer shall pay 1-1/2 times the employee's regular rate of pay after 40 hours in the workweek. Overtime pay is due for actual hours worked over 40. No requirement to pay overtime on a daily basis, weekends, or holidays except by agreement.

Source

agency page

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September 26, 2026

Notes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-76c. The restaurant and hotel wage order (Regs. § 31-62-E) also requires 1.5 times the minimum rate for all time worked on the seventh consecutive day.

Verified September 26, 2026

Sec. 31-51ii. Meal periods. Exemptions. Regulations. (a) No person shall be required to work for seven and one-half or more consecutive hours without a period of at least thirty consecutive minutes for a meal. Such period shall be given at some time after the first two hours of work and before the last two hours.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

Sec. 31-71b. Payment of wages. Electronic direct deposit of wages for state employees. Exemptions. (a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, each employer, or the agent or representative of an employer, shall pay weekly, or once every two weeks, all wages, salary or other compensation due each employee on a regular pay day, designated in advance by the employer using one or more of the following methods: (A) Cash; (B) by negotiable checks; (C) upon an employee's written or electronic request, by direct deposit; or (D) by payroll card, provided the requirements of section 31-71k are satisfied. (2) Unless otherwise requested by the recipient, the Comptroller shall, as soon as is practicable, pay all wages due each state employee, as defined in section 5-196, by electronic direct deposit to such employee's account in any bank, Connecticut credit union or federal credit union that has agreed with the Comptroller to accept such wage deposits. (b) The end of the pay period for which payment is made on a regular pay day shall be not more than eight days before such regular pay day, provided, if such regular pay day falls on a nonwork day, payment shall be made on the preceding work day.

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statute

snapshot

September 26, 2026

Notes

The Labor Commissioner may approve less frequent paydays on application (§ 31-71i).

Verified September 26, 2026

Sec. 31-71c. Payment of wages on termination of employment. (a) Whenever an employee voluntarily terminates his employment, the employer shall pay the employee's wages in full not later than the next regular pay day, as designated under section 31-71b, either through the regular payment channels or by mail. (b) Whenever an employer discharges an employee, the employer shall pay the employee's wages in full not later than the business day next succeeding the date of such discharge. (c) When work of any employee is suspended as a result of a labor dispute, or when an employee for any reason is laid off, the employer shall pay in full to such employee the wages earned by him not later than the next regular pay day, as designated under section 31-71b.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

(a) Each employer shall provide paid sick leave annually to each of such employer's employees in the state. 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. An employer may provide its employees with a greater amount of paid sick leave or provide paid sick leave at a faster rate than required by this subsection. Each employee shall be entitled to carry over up to forty unused accrued hours of paid sick leave from the current year to the following year, but no employee shall be entitled to use more than the maximum number of accrued hours, as described in subdivision (3) of this subsection, in any year. In lieu of any carry-over of unused paid sick leave from the current year to the following year, an employer may provide an employee with an amount of paid sick leave that meets or exceeds the requirements of this subsection and is available for the employee's immediate use at the beginning of the following year. (b) 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.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

SEC. 31-62-E3. GRATUITIES AS PART OF THE MINIMUM FAIR WAGE. Gratuities shall be recognized as constituting a part of the minimum fair wage when all of the following provisions are complied with: (a) The employer shall be engaged in an employment in which gratuities have customarily and usually constituted and have been recognized as part of his remuneration for hiring purposes, and (b) the amount received in gratuities claimed as credit for part of the minimum fair wage shall be recorded on a daily, weekly, or bi-weekly basis in a wage record even though payment is made more frequently, and (c) each employer claiming credit for gratuities as part of the minimum fair wage paid to any service employee shall obtain substantial evidence as described in Section 30-60-2, such as a daily, weekly, or bi-weekly attestation or statement in electronic or written format demonstrating that the service employee has received in gratuities not less than the amount claimed as credit for part of the minimum fair wage.

Source

agency page

snapshot

September 26, 2026

Notes

Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 31-62-E3 and E3a, as printed on the DOL-79 restaurant and hotel wage order poster. The 2-hour / 20% non-service duty limit is § 31-62-E3a, which follows directly in the source.

Verified September 26, 2026

(c) No person under eighteen years of age who is enrolled in a secondary education institution shall be employed in any mercantile establishment more than (1) six hours in any regularly scheduled school day unless the regularly scheduled school day immediately precedes a nonschool day or eight hours in any other day, and (2) thirty-two hours in any calendar week during which the school in which such person is enrolled is in session, or forty-eight hours in any other calendar week during which the school in which such person is enrolled is not is session.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

Each employer subject to this part or to a minimum fair wage order shall keep a copy of such order and the regulations issued by the Labor Commissioner posted at the place of employment where it can be read easily by the employees. Employers shall be furnished copies of orders and regulations on request, without charge.

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statute

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September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

such employee or labor organization shall recover, in a civil action, (1) twice the full amount of such wages, with costs and such reasonable attorney's fees as may be allowed by the court, or (2) if the employer establishes that the employer had a good faith belief that the underpayment of wages was in compliance with law, the full amount of such wages or compensation, with costs and such reasonable attorney's fees as may be allowed by the court. Any agreement between an employee and his or her employer for payment of wages other than as specified in said sections shall be no defense to such action. The Labor Commissioner may collect the full amount of any such unpaid wages, payments due to an employee welfare fund or such arbitration award, as well as interest calculated in accordance with the provisions of section 31-265 from the date the wages or payment should have been received, had payment been made in a timely manner.

Source

statute

snapshot

September 26, 2026

Notes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-72.

Verified September 26, 2026

Sec. 53-303e. More than six days employment in calendar week prohibited. Employee remedies. (a) No employer shall compel any employee engaged in any commercial occupation or in the work of any industrial process to work more than six days in any calendar week. An employee's refusal to work more than six days in any calendar week shall not constitute grounds for his dismissal.

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statute

snapshot

September 26, 2026

Verified September 26, 2026

To qualify for exemption, employees generally must meet certain tests regarding their job duties and be paid on a salary basis at not less than $684 per week.

Source

agency page

snapshot

September 26, 2026

Notes

The 2024 rule raising the level to $844/$1,128 was vacated in November 2024; DOL enforces the 2019 level of $684.

Verified September 26, 2026