As ever, January 1, 2017 will see a number of new laws go into effect in Connecticut, and this year there are several that will affect employers, large and small. Foremost on the minds of many businesses in the state will be what’s slated to be the final hike in the minimum wage - at least for now.
The wage will rise to $10.10 an hour January 1. But even as Connecticut’s wage has risen to among the highest in the nation, there are now increasing calls for a minimum wage of $15 an hour.
“My businesses would love to be able to pay their employees more, but they simply just can’t afford to in every case, so they’re very concerned about that,” said Eric Gjede of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.
This fall saw a run of several months where the state lost jobs, and he believes that makes it less likely that legislators will heed the call for further hikes, despite the recommendation of its own Low Wage Advisory Board.
“People are going to be much more concerned about adding to the cost of creating jobs in Connecticut and I think people are really going to want to focus on what we could do to make the business community better in the state,” Gjede told WNPR.
In another significant change for many employers in the state, it will now be unlawful to include an inquiry about arrests or criminal convictions on an initial job application -- so called "ban the box" legislation.
It’s intended to allow people with prior convictions a second chance in the job market, and Gjede welcomes the change. “It still allows employers to protect employees, but it gives people a chance to get into the business and explain a little bit about themselves and not just be rejected at the get-go,” he said.
In Connecticut employers will be allowed to ask about an applicants criminal record later in the job search process, as a compromise.
Ban the box has been controversial in some jurisdictions where it's been enacted, but the drafters of the law say Connecticut has tried to take account of best practice around the country.