Under Connecticut law, employers must pay employees at a rate of one and one-half the employee’s regular hourly wage for working more than 40 hours in one week.

Some employees are exempt from the overtime requirement. Employees engaged in administrative, professional, executive, agricultural or motor carrier activities are exempt from the overtime requirement. Additionally, the following employees are exempt under Connecticut law:

• Seamen
• Announcers, news editors or chief engineers at radio or television stations
• Inside salespeople
• Household milk delivery employees
• Automobile salespeople
• Members of the police force
• Fire fighters
• Private non-profit employees
• Mechanics

Effective January 1, 2017, the minimum wage in Connecticut is $10.10 per hour, which is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Generally, employers cannot use other costs of employment to decrease the minimum wage. Employers, however, can use tips and gratuities to reduce the minimum wage required to $5.78 for hotel and restaurant employees and $7.46 for bartenders.

The following employees may be paid at a rate below the minimum wage:

• Minors working in agriculture and government may be paid 85% of the minimum wage
• Minors working in other industries may be paid 85% of the minimum wage for the first 200 hours of employment

No cities or counties in Connecticut currently have a minimum wage different from the state minimum of $10.10 per hour.

Under Connecticut law, employees are entitled to a 30-minute meal break within the first seven and a half hours of work. One of the following conditions can create an exception to the meal period requirement:

• Compliance with the requirement endangers public safety
• Only one employee can perform the job duties
• Only five employees are on a shift at one location
• Employees who must be available to respond to urgent conditions are compensated for the meal period.

Connecticut does not have any rest break requirements that are different from federal law.

You can file a Statement of Claim for Wages with the Wage and Workplace Standards Division of the Connecticut Department of Labor. This can be done by printing the form or filling it out digitally. For more information, see the instructions for filing. The filing should include as much information and documentation as possible. This process can be completed with or without an attorney.

If you have a wage/hour claim, do not delay in contacting the Wage and Workplace Standards Division to file a claim. There are strict time limits in which wage claims must be filed. In order for the agency to act on your behalf, you must file with two years from the date that the claim arose.

As you might have other legal claims with shorter deadlines, do not wait to file your claim until your time limit is close to expiring. It may be helpful to consult with an attorney prior to filing your claim, but it is not necessary to have an attorney to file your claim.

Under Connecticut law, an attorney can file a private lawsuit to recover twice the amount of wages plus attorney’s fees and court costs.

State of Connecticut Department of Labor
Wage and Workplace Standards Division
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Phone: 860-263-6790

For issues regarding minimum wage, overtime, or wage payment, call: (860) 263-6790