Connecticut
Wage and Hour Attorney

You work hard for your paycheck, and you deserve to receive every dollar you have legally earned. Unfortunately, some Connecticut employers fail to pay overtime, require employees to work off the clock, or classify workers incorrectly to avoid paying required wages. These practices can cost employees thousands of dollars over time.

At Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore, our Connecticut wage and hour attorneys represent employees who have been denied the compensation they deserve. We help workers understand their rights under state and federal law, investigate wage violations, and pursue unpaid wages and overtime compensation. Our law firm represents employees, not employers, and has experience handling both individual wage claims and class and collective actions.

Whether you receive an hourly wage, earn a salary, or work on commission, your employer must follow the wage and hour laws that apply to your position. If you believe your paycheck does not reflect the hours you worked, our employment lawyers can review your situation and explain your legal options.

Understanding Connecticut Wage and Hour Laws

Connecticut wage and hour laws establish minimum standards for paying employees. These laws address minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, meal periods, and other compensation requirements. Federal protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) may also apply, and employees generally receive the benefit of the applicable law that provides greater protection.

Most covered employees must receive at least the applicable minimum wage for all compensable hours worked. Nonexempt employees must generally receive overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. Employers cannot avoid these requirements simply by calling an employee a manager, paying a salary, or adopting a company policy that conflicts with the law.

Wage and hour disputes often arise because employers misunderstand the rules or use pay practices that benefit the business at the employee’s expense. Regardless of the reason, employees may have the right to recover unpaid compensation when their employer violates applicable law.

Our attorneys evaluate how employees are classified, how their hours are recorded, and how their wages are calculated. We look for violations that may affect one worker or an entire group of employees performing similar jobs.

Connecticut Minimum Wage Requirements

Connecticut’s standard minimum wage is $16.94 per hour in 2026. This rate is higher than the federal minimum wage, which means most covered Connecticut employees must receive the higher state rate. Connecticut adjusts its minimum wage periodically, so employers must keep their payroll practices current.

Certain occupations, including qualifying tipped positions, have specific wage rules. Employers may be permitted to apply a tip credit when the legal requirements are met, but employees must still receive the minimum compensation required by law. Employers cannot use tips or deductions in ways that violate applicable wage protections.

Minimum wage violations may occur when employers fail to count all compensable working time. For example, a restaurant employee who must complete required opening or closing duties without pay may receive less than the legally required wage for the hours actually worked.

Our Connecticut wage and hour lawyers help employees determine whether their employer has paid the required minimum wage. We also investigate unpaid work time, improper deductions, and other practices that may reduce an employee’s lawful compensation.

Connecticut Overtime Laws and Employee Rights

Connecticut overtime laws generally require covered nonexempt employees to receive one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. These requirements apply to many hourly employees and some salaried employees, depending on their actual job duties and the applicable exemptions.

For example, an employee whose regular hourly rate is $20 would generally earn $30 per overtime hour. If that employee works 45 hours in a workweek, the five overtime hours must ordinarily be compensated at the required premium rate.

Overtime is generally calculated based on hours actually worked during a workweek, not simply hours worked in a single day. Connecticut law does not generally require overtime solely because an employee works on a weekend or holiday, although employment agreements or specific industry rules may provide additional compensation.

An employer cannot refuse to pay legally required overtime simply because the additional hours were not approved in advance. Employers may establish scheduling rules, but they must still compensate covered employees for work they knew or had reason to know was performed.

Unpaid Overtime and Off-the-Clock Work

Some employers require employees to perform tasks before clocking in, after clocking out, or during periods recorded as unpaid breaks. When these activities qualify as compensable work, excluding them from payroll may violate wage and hour laws.

Common examples include required preparation, closing duties, work-related phone calls, and certain mandatory meetings or training sessions. In some circumstances, time spent putting on or removing specialized protective equipment may also qualify as compensable work.

Consider an employee at a Connecticut manufacturing facility who must put on required safety equipment before beginning a shift. If the employer requires that activity but excludes legally compensable time from payroll, the employee may be owed additional wages.

Our attorneys review time records, company policies, and actual workplace practices to determine whether employees have been paid for all compensable hours worked.

Overtime Pay for Employees Who Earn Commissions

Commission-based employees may also qualify for overtime compensation. Being paid commissions does not automatically make an employee exempt from overtime requirements.

For covered nonexempt employees, certain commissions and nondiscretionary bonuses must be included when calculating the regular rate used to determine overtime pay. This means an employer may underpay overtime if it calculates the premium using only the employee’s base hourly rate.

Some sales positions qualify for specific exemptions, but those exemptions have detailed requirements. An employer cannot assume that every salesperson is exempt simply because the employee earns commissions.

Our Connecticut wage and hour attorneys evaluate commission structures, job duties, and overtime calculations to determine whether employees received the compensation required by law.

Connecticut Overtime Laws for Salaried Employees

One of the most common wage and hour misunderstandings is that salaried employees are never entitled to overtime. Receiving a salary does not automatically make an employee exempt from overtime laws.

An employee’s overtime eligibility generally depends on their actual duties, compensation arrangement, and whether they meet the requirements of a recognized exemption. Employers sometimes classify employees as exempt because of their job titles, even when their daily responsibilities do not support that classification.

For example, an employee with the title of assistant manager may spend most of the workday stocking shelves, helping customers, or operating a register. If the employee does not satisfy the applicable exemption requirements, they may be entitled to overtime despite their title and salary.

Our employment attorneys investigate whether salaried employees have been improperly denied overtime pay. We compare the employer’s classification with the work employees actually perform and the requirements of Connecticut and federal law.

Executive, Administrative, and Professional Exemptions

Certain employees may qualify for exemptions from overtime requirements under the FLSA and Connecticut law. Common exemptions involve executive, administrative, and professional positions, but each category has specific legal requirements.

Executive exemption: Generally concerns employees whose primary duty involves managing a business or recognized department, who regularly direct the work of at least two full-time employees or their equivalent, and who have qualifying authority or influence over employment decisions.

Administrative exemption: Generally applies to qualifying office or nonmanual work directly related to management or general business operations, where the employee exercises discretion and independent judgment on significant matters.

Professional exemption: May apply to employees performing qualifying advanced intellectual work in a field of science or learning, or certain creative work requiring invention, imagination, originality, or talent.

Federal executive, administrative, and professional exemptions generally include salary requirements as well as duties tests. Following the court decision vacating the 2024 federal overtime rule, the U.S. Department of Labor applies the federal standard salary threshold of $684 per week for these exemptions. Connecticut’s rules must also be evaluated because state and federal exemption requirements are not identical.

Meeting a salary threshold alone does not establish an exemption. An employer must satisfy all applicable requirements before denying overtime compensation.

Other Overtime Exemptions and Special Rules

Other exemptions may apply to certain outside sales employees, computer professionals, highly compensated employees, and workers in specific industries. Connecticut also has particular rules concerning qualifying inside sales employees.

These exemptions depend on detailed legal criteria rather than general job descriptions. For example, a worker who spends time selling products inside a store is not automatically exempt merely because part of their compensation comes from commissions.

An employee’s actual responsibilities are often more important than the employer’s chosen job title. Our attorneys review the specific regulations and the employee’s daily work to determine whether an exemption was properly applied.

Employee Misclassification and Unpaid Wages

Employee misclassification occurs when an employer incorrectly places a worker into a category that changes their legal rights. In wage and hour disputes, this often involves treating a nonexempt employee as exempt or classifying someone as an independent contractor when the law requires employee status.

Misclassification can prevent employees from receiving overtime wages, minimum wage protections, and other compensation. It may also affect workers who perform substantially the same duties as hourly employees but are placed on salary without overtime pay.

Misclassified Managers and Administrative Employees

Assistant managers, team leaders, office employees, and other salaried workers are sometimes classified as exempt even when their actual duties do not satisfy the legal requirements.

For example, a retail employee in Norwalk may receive a promotion to assistant manager but continue spending most of the day helping customers, stocking merchandise, and operating the register. If the employee has little management authority and does not meet an applicable exemption, the employer may still owe overtime compensation.

The analysis depends on the employee’s actual duties, the amount of time spent on different responsibilities, and the governing exemption requirements. A written job description does not automatically determine whether an employee is exempt.

Misclassified Independent Contractors

Some employers classify workers as independent contractors even though their working relationships may legally qualify them as employees. This can affect workers in delivery, construction, transportation, and other industries.

Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor depends on the applicable legal test and the facts of the working relationship. An agreement labeling someone an independent contractor does not, by itself, settle the issue.

Our attorneys have represented delivery drivers and other workers in disputes involving employee classification. We investigate whether a business improperly denied employees wages or overtime by treating them as independent contractors.

Other Common Wage and Hour Violations in Connecticut

Not every wage dispute involves overtime. Employees may also experience missing wages, improper paycheck deductions, unpaid commissions, or failures to compensate required work time.

Common wage and hour violations include:

• Failing to pay employees for all compensable hours worked.
• Paying less than the applicable minimum wage.
• Denying overtime compensation to nonexempt employees.
• Requiring off-the-clock work before or after scheduled shifts.
• Making deductions that violate applicable wage laws.
• Failing to pay earned commissions or other wages when legally due.
• Using automatic meal deductions when employees continue working.
• Misclassifying employees as exempt or independent contractors.
• Calculating overtime without including compensation that belongs in the regular rate.

Connecticut also generally requires a meal period of at least 30 consecutive minutes for employees who work seven and one-half or more consecutive hours, subject to statutory exceptions and permitted alternatives. Meal periods are a separate issue from overtime, but employees may have wage claims if they perform compensable work during an unpaid break.

An employer’s payroll records may not always reflect what actually happened in the workplace. Our attorneys examine paychecks, schedules, timekeeping systems, and employee accounts to identify potential violations.

Recovering Unpaid Wages in Connecticut

Employees who have been denied legally required compensation may be able to recover unpaid wages through an administrative complaint or a lawsuit. The appropriate process depends on the type of wage violation, the applicable law, and the circumstances of the employment relationship.

Under Connecticut General Statutes § 31-72, certain unpaid wage claims may permit recovery of twice the amount owed, along with qualifying costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. However, the statute provides a different recovery rule when an employer establishes a good-faith belief that the underpayment complied with the law.

Federal wage claims may also allow recovery of unpaid compensation and additional damages when the legal requirements are met. The remedies available depend on the specific claim and the evidence.

Filing a Wage Claim With the Connecticut Department of Labor

The Connecticut Department of Labor investigates certain wage and hour complaints and enforces state workplace standards. Employees may be able to file a wage complaint involving unpaid wages, overtime, or minimum wage violations.

However, filing an administrative complaint is not the only potential option. Some employees may pursue claims in court, and cases involving groups of workers may be handled through class or collective litigation.

Our attorneys evaluate the available legal procedures, filing deadlines, and potential recovery before recommending a course of action. We help employees understand the process and pursue compensation through the appropriate forum.

Deadlines for Wage and Overtime Claims

Wage claims are subject to filing deadlines that depend on the applicable statute and type of compensation involved.

Under the FLSA, claims generally have a two-year limitations period, which may extend to three years for willful violations. Connecticut wage claims can involve different limitations rules, including a two-year period for certain claims involving periodic employment compensation.

Because the deadlines and possible tolling rules vary, employees should seek legal advice promptly. Waiting to investigate a wage violation may limit how much unpaid compensation can be recovered.

Protecting Employees From Wage Complaint Retaliation

Employees should not have to risk their jobs simply because they request wages they are legally owed. Federal and Connecticut laws provide protections against certain forms of employer retaliation involving wage complaints and other protected activity.

Retaliation may include termination, reduced hours, demotion, threats, or other adverse employment actions taken because an employee engaged in protected conduct. The legal requirements vary depending on the statute and circumstances.

For example, an employee who raises a protected complaint about unpaid overtime and is then fired may have a retaliation claim in addition to the underlying wage dispute. The employer’s knowledge, the timing of events, and its explanation for the termination may all be relevant.

Our attorneys represent employees facing employer retaliation and help determine whether an employer violated the law by punishing a worker for asserting wage and hour rights.

Experienced Connecticut Wage and Hour Attorneys Representing Employees

Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore has experience representing employees who were denied wages, overtime compensation, and other legally required pay. We handle individual wage disputes as well as class and collective actions involving workers subjected to similar pay practices.

Our attorneys have pursued claims involving misclassified managers, insurance employees, health care workers, delivery drivers, and other employees whose compensation did not reflect their legal rights.

Representative Wage and Hour Case Results

Our firm’s wage and hour experience includes:

• $2,000,000 settlement for assistant managers at a grocery chain.
• $1,500,000 settlement for auto appraisers classified as exempt and denied overtime pay.
• A judgment for a CAD draftsman denied overtime, involving an FLSA precedent.
• A settlement for a worker who was not paid for qualifying on-call hours.
• A settlement for an insurance underwriter denied overtime wages.
• A settlement for an insurance employee whose duties involved arranging meetings between IT professionals.
• A settlement for nurses classified as exempt by an insurance company and denied overtime.
• A settlement for a class of bakery delivery drivers classified as independent contractors.
• A settlement for a restaurant worker who was not paid the full minimum wage for side work.

These results demonstrate our experience with different wage and hour disputes, but each case depends on its own facts and legal requirements. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Individual Claims and Class or Collective Actions

Some wage violations affect a single employee, while others result from companywide policies that underpay many workers. For example, an employer may classify every assistant manager as exempt or use a timekeeping system that automatically deducts unpaid breaks even when employees continue working.

When multiple employees are affected by the same unlawful practice, a class or collective action may provide a way to pursue compensation. The procedures and requirements differ under Connecticut and federal law, and not every group of employees qualifies for collective litigation.

Our attorneys investigate workplace pay practices, review evidence, and determine whether an individual claim or broader legal action is appropriate. We work to recover wages and other compensation available under the applicable law.

Representing Employees Throughout Connecticut

Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore represents employees throughout Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Milford, Stamford, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Norwalk, New Britain, Manchester, and surrounding communities.

We assist workers in retail, manufacturing, insurance, health care, food service, transportation, construction, and other industries. Whether you work for a small local business or a large corporation, your employer must comply with the wage and hour laws that apply to your job.

Our Connecticut employment lawyers can review your compensation, evaluate your job classification, and help determine whether you have a claim for unpaid wages or overtime.

Frequently Asked Questions About Connecticut Wage and Hour Laws

Do salaried employees get overtime pay in Connecticut?

Yes, some salaried employees are entitled to overtime pay in Connecticut. Being paid a salary does not automatically make someone exempt from overtime requirements. Eligibility depends on the employee’s actual job duties, compensation, and whether the employer can establish an applicable exemption under state and federal law. An attorney can review your position and determine whether you may be owed overtime wages.

What are Connecticut’s overtime laws for employees working more than 40 hours?

Connecticut generally requires covered nonexempt employees to receive one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Overtime is generally based on actual hours worked, rather than automatically applying after eight hours in a day. Certain exemptions and industry-specific rules may apply. If your employer has failed to pay the required premium, you may have a claim for unpaid overtime compensation.

Can my employer refuse to pay overtime because it was not approved?

An employer generally must pay covered nonexempt employees for overtime work it knew or had reason to know was performed, even if the hours were not approved in advance. Employers may establish scheduling and approval policies, but those policies do not eliminate legal wage obligations. The employee’s actual hours and the employer’s knowledge are important considerations. An attorney can help determine whether unpaid overtime is owed.

Am I entitled to pay for working through my lunch break?

You may be entitled to compensation if you perform compensable work during a meal period that your employer records as unpaid. For example, an employee required to answer work calls, assist customers, or continue job duties during an unpaid break may have a wage claim. Connecticut also has meal-period requirements for many employees working seven and one-half or more consecutive hours, subject to exceptions. Whether the time must be paid depends on the work performed and applicable law.

Can my employer classify me as an independent contractor to avoid overtime?

An employer cannot avoid applicable wage and hour laws simply by labeling a worker an independent contractor. Whether someone is legally an employee depends on the facts of the working relationship and the applicable classification test. Employees who are incorrectly classified may be entitled to wages or overtime that were not paid. A wage and hour attorney can evaluate the classification and determine whether a claim may exist.

How far back can I recover unpaid overtime in Connecticut?

The recovery period depends on the law governing the claim. Under the FLSA, employees can generally pursue unpaid overtime within two years, or three years for willful violations. Connecticut claims may involve different limitations periods and rules. Because the amount recoverable may decrease as time passes, employees should seek legal advice promptly when they suspect unpaid overtime.

Can my employer fire me for complaining about unpaid wages?

Federal and Connecticut laws prohibit certain forms of retaliation against employees who engage in protected wage-related activity. An employer may violate the law by terminating, demoting, or otherwise punishing an employee because of a qualifying wage complaint. Whether a retaliation claim exists depends on the specific activity, the employer’s response, and the evidence connecting them. An attorney can evaluate both the unpaid wage issue and any related retaliation.

Contact a Connecticut Wage and Hour Attorney Today

If your employer has failed to pay minimum wage, denied overtime compensation, misclassified your position, or withheld wages you earned, you may have legal options. At Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore, we represent Connecticut employees who want to recover unpaid compensation and hold employers accountable for wage and hour violations.

Our attorneys can review your pay records, job duties, and working hours to determine whether your employer has violated Connecticut or federal law. We handle individual wage disputes and complex class and collective actions involving employees subjected to unlawful pay practices.

Call (860) 522-8888 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with our Connecticut wage and hour attorneys.