Labor Costs

When companies compare business costs among the various states, mandated benefit costs are always closely scrutinized. States that carry higher-than-average rates and more generous policies have a disadvantage in our increasingly competi tive world. It is much more difficult for the more expensive states to attract businesses and jobs. That is why Connecticut has worked hard to make our costs more competitive, while maintaining some of the nation's more generous benefits. Now is not the time to make the state less likely for new jobs by increasing mandated benefit costs.

Workers’ compensation

CBIA recommends:

• Reject measures that would repeal workers’ compensation reforms or impose new measures that would result in increased costs.
• Adopt the recommendations of the Second Injury Fund that will result in fair audit and assessment processes.
• Identify, with the Department of Insurance, why the assigned-risk market is growing.
• Modify the definition of "personal injury" or "injury" to clarify that employers are not responsible for pre-existing conditions or the portion of a disability resulting from lifestyle and other factors such as the aging process.
  

Other labor recommendations

• Reject measures that would jeopardize job creation and retention, including proposals:
  - mandating employer-paid time off for family and medical leave and other nonwork-related reasons;
  - expanding unemployment compensation eligibility and increasing unemployment compensation benefits; and
  - permitting the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities to award compensatory damages.
• Remove the superior-court appeal level in the unemployment compensation system so that appeals from the Board of Review are taken directly to the appellate court.
• Conform the state’s definition of disability to the federal American with Disabilities Act, in order to facilitate compliance and eliminate confusion.
• Promote the use of separate counts for each allegation of discrimination heard by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities in order to save time and promote settlements.
• Tighten Connecticut’s unemployment compensation eligibility rules to make an individual ineligible if he/she loses an occupationally required license because of off-duty conduct.