Now, Paid FMLA?

05.10.2013
Issues & Policies

Advocates are pushing the legislature to adopt a state family medical leave insurance program that’s likely to lead to imposing a new mandatory fee on Connecticut employees, their employers, or both.

HB 6553 creates a new task force that’s charged with developing a way to provide compensation to individuals who are taking FMLA time.

Surprisingly, it’s not a “should-we-do-this?” study but a “how-to” mission. That’s a decidedly wrong focus in a state struggling with high unemployment and low job creation.

Worse, the bill calls for only two positions within the 23-member task force to be directly staffed by representatives from Connecticut’s business community.

Most of the task force is to include representatives of special interest groups. Yet it’s businesses and their employees who will face the multiple costs of HB 6553.

Less than two years after the state’s paid sick leave law—which employers are still trying to understand and comply with—Connecticut businesses are facing another costly labor mandate they can’t afford.

And that’s unfortunate, because by virtually every measure of its kind—such as the latest survey conducted by Chief Executive.net which placed Connecticut 5th worst in the nation—Connecticut is seen as having one of the most difficult business climates in the U.S. 

HB 6553 will only cement that perspective and saddle businesses here with even higher costs and burdens.

CBIA urges lawmakers to reject HB 6553 as too costly for Connecticut.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Gjede at 860.244.1931 or eric.gjede@cbia.com.

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