Your pay rights in Connecticut

An Act Concerning Workforce Development and Working Conditions in the State (Public Act 26-12, section 2) (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-40z, as amended by Public Act 26-12, § 2)

Job posting rules in effect since October 1, 2026

Connecticut job ads must show the pay or pay range and a general description of benefits. Employers may not ask about your pay history unless you bring it up yourself.

Who is covered

Every employer with at least one employee, including the state and cities and towns. It covers jobs done in Connecticut, and jobs done outside Connecticut if the worker reports directly to a supervisor, office or worksite in Connecticut. Both internal and public job ads are covered.

What a job posting must show

The pay, or the pay range, for the job. The range must be set in good faith.
A general description of the benefits that come with the job, such as health insurance, retirement, paid leave and other pay beyond wages.
This applies to both internal and public job ads.

Pay history

Employers may not ask you, or have someone else ask, about your past pay unless you bring it up yourself.

What you can do

See the pay or pay range and a benefits description in any internal or public job ad for the job.
If the job was not advertised, get the pay range and a benefits description when you ask, or before any talk about pay or any job offer, whichever comes first.
Once hired, get the pay range and a general description of benefits for your job when you start, when your job changes, and the first time you ask.
Talk about your pay and ask coworkers about theirs. The employer cannot punish you for this.
The employer cannot refuse to interview or hire you, or otherwise retaliate, because you used these rights.
File a lawsuit within two years of the violation.
File a complaint with the Connecticut Labor Commissioner.

Where to report a posting without pay

Connecticut Department of Labor (Labor Commissioner), Wage and Workplace Standards Division

In court, you can recover your actual losses (compensatory damages), attorney's fees and costs, and other relief the court finds fair. From October 1, 2026, punitive damages are no longer available under this law. The Department of Labor can fine the employer if it finds a violation; it does not publish an amount.

Sources

Until October 1, 2026, the 2021 law applies: employers must give the pay range only when an applicant asks, or before or when making an offer. From October 1, 2026, every internal and public job ad must include the pay or pay range and a general description of benefits; the on-request rule then covers only jobs that weren't advertised, includes benefits, and applies before any discussion of pay. The 2026 Act also changed the range definition to the range the employer 'sets in good faith', extended coverage to out-of-state jobs reporting directly to Connecticut, and removed punitive damages. It was approved May 11, 2026. The Department of Labor's guidance page still describes only the 2021 law.