Sure, the headline is click-bait. Designed to get your attention.

But it’s actually true.  Connecticut law requires employers in Connecticut to pay their employees on a weekly basis.  Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 31-71b states it in sorta plain English.

[E]ach employer … shall pay weekly all moneys due each employee on a regular pay day, designated in advance by the employer …

And the law goes further pay specifying that the pay day can’t be too far in advance:

The end of the pay period for which payment is made on a regular pay day shall be not more than eight days before such regular pay day, provided, if such regular pay day falls on a nonwork day, payment shall be made on the preceding work day.

So, is that it? The end of the story.

Fortunately, no. The Connecticut Department of Labor routinely grants waivers of the weekly pay requirement at least to go to bi-weekly pay.   In Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-71i, it states:

The commissioner may, upon application, waive the provisions of section 31-71b with respect to any particular week or weeks, and may also, upon application, permit any employer subject to the provisions of this section to establish regular payday less frequently than weekly, provided each employee affected shall be paid in full at least once in each calendar month on a regularly established schedule.

How does an employer do this? If you are seeking a waiver to pay bi-weekly (26 times a year), then you can fill out a form online here.

Semi-monthly pay and monthly pay waivers are less common and employers need increasingly important reasons to go to such a system.  Employers who wish to do so, can send a letter to the Connecticut Department of Labor to do so.

Employers who fail to get a waiver do open themselves up to significant fines. While the Connecticut DOL seeks compliance in this area more than penalties, it’s not a risk that employers need to take.

If you need help filing out the form, talk to your local counsel.