Lawmakers can still ‘do no harm’ on paid sick leave, other cost-raising proposals

(April 25, 2008) With just two weeks to go in the 2008 Connecticut General Assembly, legislators can still “do no harm” — as many said they would aim to do -- by rejecting proposals to raise workplace costs in Connecticut.

If businesses don’t voice their concerns, these proposals could gain approval.

Paid sick leave
One of the most harmful proposals still alive is SB-217 (which requires all Connecticut employers of 25 or more non-exempt employees to provide paid sick leave with indefinite carryover into future years) as well as others that dramatically increase workers’ compensation costs and increase employers’ administrative burdens.

Hundreds of Connecticut employers have sent thousands of messages this session to state lawmakers imploring them to reject SB-217 and other measures that would be costly in terms of dollars, the disruptions they would cause workplaces and the bad precedent in terms of public policy affecting economic growth.

Yet the legislature's Judiciary Committee ignored the pleas and approved SB-217, sending it to the State Senate, where it now awaits action.

Sandra Woodhouse, operations manager, The Pawson Group, Branford, describes how her company would be affected:
“This mandate [SB-217] can cripple the type of service business we operate. Carryover of accrued sick leave from year to year could be devastating to the small business owner. We already take care of our employees at a level we can afford; this should be left up to the individual business owner.”

Workers’ comp
In addition, two damaging workers’ compensation proposals alive still are annual efforts by the Labor Committee to undermine Connecticut’s system by increasing benefits to employees far beyond fiscally responsible levels.

Both SB-64, which expands benefits for scarring, and SB-255, which increases discretionary benefit awards, would have tremendously negative effects on Connecticut’s economy.

Also still alive is HB-5334, which makes employers vulnerable to 25% higher workers’ comp costs, plus attorney’s fees, in certain cases when they question or challenge a workers’ compensation medical recommendation.

Success

There have, in fact, been some wins for the business community this year, such as the Commerce Committee’s rejection this week of SB-58, which would have denied economic development assistance to Connecticut companies that need it most.

It is vitally important for businesses to contact their legislators and urge them to reject any measures that would be harmful to Connecticut companies or the state’s economy.

For more information about labor issues, contact CBIA’s Kia Murrell at 860-244-1931 or kia.murrell@cbia.com.