Doctor's-Note & Sick-Leave Laws in Connecticut

Connecticut was the first U.S. state to mandate paid sick leave, and a 2024 law (Public Act 24-8) significantly expanded it through a phased rollout. Most employees accrue one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. As of 2026, coverage reaches employers with 11 or more employees, and the law now prohibits employers from requiring documentation to use covered paid sick leave.

How sick leave works in Connecticut

Connecticut was the first U.S. state to require paid sick leave, beginning in 2012. A 2024 law, Public Act 24-8, substantially expanded the program through a phased rollout: it applies to employers with 25 or more employees from January 1, 2025; 11 or more from January 1, 2026; and essentially all employers from January 1, 2027. Most covered employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year. (The 2024 law raised the accrual rate from the prior one-hour-per-40-hours formula.)

When a doctor’s note can be required

For covered paid sick leave, an employer in Connecticut may not require a doctor’s note. Public Act 24-8 prohibits employers from requiring documentation that paid sick leave was taken for a permitted purpose, replacing the prior rule that had allowed documentation for absences of three or more consecutive days. Note that this prohibition governs leave taken under the paid-sick-leave statute; an employer may still seek documentation under a separate workplace policy, or under the federal FMLA or the ADA, which are governed by their own rules.

The specifics above are summarized at a high level. See the linked primary sources for exact current requirements, and treat anything time-sensitive as something to confirm with the state agency or an employment attorney.