Effective January 1, 2014, the State of Connecticut has increased the minimum wage by 45¢ from $8.25 to $8.70 and approved a second increase which would be effective January 1, 2015 to bring the minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. The legislature has not increased minimum wage which must be payable to ‘tipped’ employees. However, employees are now responsible to ensure that tips/gratuities which are received by such employees are sufficient to cover the minimum wage owed to such employees.
Despite the fact that the Federal minimum wage currently is $7.25 an hour, a number of states have determined to implement comparable minimum wage increases at the state level. We recommend that any employer that maintains offices in several states review the applicable minimum wage laws in all such states.