CBIA Opposes Changes

In Family And Medical Leave

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association has testified against a bill calling for paid family and medical leave, and expanding the mandated benefit to employers with as few as 15 employees. The state’s largest business organization says the bill would prove too costly for many Connecticut employers.

CBIA counsel Bonnie Stewart testified before the General Assembly’s Labor Committee last week that HB-5619 significantly expands the family and medical leave act. The proposed bill requires Connecticut employers with 15 or more employees to provide 16 weeks of family and medical leave, four more than the national requirement. The measure also requires employers to pay employees while they are on leave, and expands unemployment compensation eligibility to persons who voluntarily quit their jobs.

“When an employee takes leave, employers are already faced with the cost of overtime or additional pay to temporarily replace that employee,” Ms Stewart says. “If the employer is then required to pay that employee their salary as well, it could easily become too costly.”

Ms Stewart pointed out that many small employers in Connecticut are frequently faced with additional expenses now when employees take leave. “They have told us that if they are required to pay salary to the employee on leave as well, their very financial stability would be in question,” she said.

“Expensive mandated benefits such as these would put Connecticut way out of line with the rest of the nation,” Ms Stewart added. “This would hurt Connecticut’s economic competitiveness and threaten future opportunities.”