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For Immediate Release
May 29, 2009
LEGISLATORS INCREASE BUSINESS COSTS, PUT MORE JOBS AT RISK BY MANDATING PAID SICK LEAVE
Business community urging state Senate to reject HB-6187
The state House late last night approved a bill that will significantly increase costs and administrative burdens in the workplace and could lead to more job losses. HB-6187 mandates that employers of 50 or more employees provide their hourly and non-exempt workers a minimum of 5 paid sick days per year. It also places new, costly administrative burdens on employers.
“Given the state’s economic situation and the 65,600 Connecticut jobs already lost in the past year, it is ill-advised for legislators to make sick days more important than jobs,” said Joseph F. Brennan, CBIA senior vice president of public policy. “Connecticut residents have clearly stated that jobs are their number-one priority, but their concerns are not being addressed by the legislature. Instead legislators are passing bills that make it more difficult to retain jobs and will hurt rather than help our economic recovery.”
Brennan added that Connecticut businesses are struggling, and this bill, if passed, would add to their burdens. “This bill is yet another sign that Connecticut is becoming more unfriendly to employers,” said Brennan, “That’s a very risky message to send when so many companies are struggling to stay open and keep their workers employed.”
The bill now goes to the state Senate. The business community is urging state senators to reject HB-6187 because it will hurt the very people it is supposed to help—employees.
“The economy has forced employers to make significant changes to the way they operate,” said Brennan. “They’ve done everything possible to reduce costs in order to remain competitive and keep their businesses running and employees working. Additional mandates now could have a direct negative effect on other employee benefits, wages, and in some cases, jobs. If senators care about retaining and creating jobs in Connecticut, they will reject this bill and take actions to promote jobs and our economic recovery.”
We strongly urge senators to reject HB-6187.
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CBIA is the state’s largest business organization, with 10,000 members.
For more information contact Nancy Andrews, CBIA media relations manager, at 860-244-1957 or andrewsn@cbia.com.
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