As we first blogged on May 17, 2019, the Connecticut state hourly minimum wage will increase on August 1, 2021 from $12.00 to $13.00. The change, made pursuant to Public Act 19-4, “An Act Increasing the Minimum Fair Wage,” will be the third of five scheduled annual increases to Connecticut’s hourly minimum wage since 2019. A breakdown of the remaining increases under the Act is as follows:
- $13.00 on August 1, 2021;
- $14.00 on July 1, 2022; and
- $15 on June 1, 2023.
Additional increases after 2023 will be tied to the federal Employment Cost Index calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Connecticut minimum wage paid to bartenders will remain at $8.23/hour, while all other tipped employees must receive at least $6.38/hour.
As a reminder, although the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts mandate that employers pay a higher minimum wage to employees working their respective states.
As always, Murtha lawyers are available to discuss the state’s wage and hour law and assist employers with compliance and related issues.