Labor Committee’s Anti-Jobs Bills, Continued …

The legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee continues to roll out proposals that would roll back Connecticut’s chances for more jobs and economic growth. 

This week, CBIA testified before the committee to oppose yet more measures that would increase workplace costs, increase employers’ administrative burdens and restrict their flexibility to manage their workplaces effectively.

Workers' compensation 

SB 949 prevents pension or retirement plans from offsetting or reducing a client’s benefits by the amount he or she is receiving in workers' compensation payments.

Offsets are established and prudent safeguards that control the cost of insurance for everyone by preventing individuals from getting significantly more than their fair share. Proposals such as SB 949 undermine that purpose and cause insurance costs to skyrocket for individuals who are both retired and receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

HB 6408 would expand workers’ compensation to an emotional injury medically diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder, even when not specifically related to a work-related physical injury. However, this would counter current law which appropriately ties workers’ compensation to verifiable, work-related, physical injuries.

Employers in Connecticut are struggling with already high labor costs and the many other burdens to doing business in the state. Proposals such as these from the Labor Committee only make it harder to compete and grow jobs in Connecticut.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Kia Murrell at 860.244.1931 or kia.murrell@cbia.com.