Connecticut Overtime Laws: Threshold, Rate and Exemptions — Best Proven Guide (2026)

Under Connecticut overtime laws you earn after 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate, and no daily overtime in Connecticut — only the weekly total counts. The minimum wage is $16.94. This guide gives the exact connecticut overtime laws rule with the date we verified it, the statute, and what to do next.

Rules verified against Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division on 2026-10-08; confirm the current rule with Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division or an attorney before you rely on it.

Connecticut Overtime Laws: The Rules

After 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate. No daily overtime in Connecticut — only the weekly total counts. The overtime rate is one and a half times your regular rate of pay — the regular rate includes non-discretionary bonuses and shift differentials, not just the base wage. Restaurant and hotel-restaurant workers get time and a half the minimum rate on a 7th consecutive day.

How to Calculate Overtime Under Connecticut Overtime Laws

Take your total pay for the week, divide by the hours you worked to get the regular rate, and multiply the overtime hours by 1.5 times that rate. A worker paid $16.94 an hour who works 48 hours in a 40-hour state is owed 8 hours at time and a half.

Salary does not mean exempt: a salaried worker below the exemption tests still gets overtime on the hours over the threshold.

Connecticut Overtime Laws at a Glance

Rules verified against Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division on 2026-10-08; confirm the current rule with Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division or an attorney before you rely on it. The statute row is where to check it yourself.

Who Is Exempt From Connecticut Overtime Laws

Connecticut’s main overtime exemptions cover salaried executives, administrators and professionals (Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 31-60-14 to 31-60-16) and outside sales staff. To be exempt, the worker generally must meet both a duties test and a salary test, paid as a fixed amount each pay period.

The Department of Labor says that if the duties part is not met, the job is not exempt whatever the salary, and the stricter of the state or federal standard generally applies.

Daily Overtime and Connecticut Overtime Laws

Connecticut has no daily overtime rule: a 12-hour day in a 36-hour week earns no premium, because only the weekly total counts. Under C.G.S. § 31-76c, private employers generally must pay time and a half in cash for hours over 40 in a workweek, and no Connecticut rule lets them give comp time instead.

State law also says overtime pay cannot be waived, and the comp-time policies that do exist cover state government employees only.

Is Overtime Taxed Differently Under Connecticut Overtime Laws?

No — overtime is ordinary wages and is taxed at the same income-tax rates as the rest of your pay; it can push more of your pay into a higher withholding bracket on one check, but the annual tax rate does not change. Connecticut allows a tip credit only for “service employees,” as the state Supreme Court upheld in Amaral Bros. v. Department of Labor.

Tips must be recorded separately in the wage record, and a worker shortchanged on minimum or overtime wages may sue for double the unpaid amount, so confirm the exact tipped overtime math with the state agency.

How to Claim Unpaid Overtime Under Connecticut Overtime Laws

A Connecticut worker can file a Statement of Claim for Wages with the Wage and Workplace Standards Division of the Connecticut Department of Labor. The form is on the division’s wage complaint page in English and Spanish, and local American Job Centers can help with filing.

Investigations only look back a limited time from the day the complaint is filed, so most claimants file soon, and you can also contact the federal Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov.

Other Connecticut Overtime Laws Rules to Know

Connecticut counts overtime by the workweek and has no daily overtime rule. Under C.G.S. § 31-76c, hospitals may use a 14-day work period, and some workers with irregular hours may be covered by a bona fide individual contract or union agreement instead of the standard rule. A separate Wage Retaliation Complaint goes to the Legal Division if you were punished for raising a wage claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I get overtime under Connecticut overtime laws?

After 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate. No daily overtime in Connecticut — only the weekly total counts.

What is the overtime rate in Connecticut?

One and a half times your regular rate of pay, which includes non-discretionary bonuses and shift pay.

Does Connecticut have daily overtime?

No daily overtime in connecticut — only the weekly total counts.

Can my employer give comp time instead of overtime pay in Connecticut?

Under C.G.S. § 31-76c, private employers generally must pay time and a half in cash for hours over 40 in a workweek, and no Connecticut rule lets them give comp time instead.

How do I claim unpaid overtime in Connecticut?

A Connecticut worker can file a Statement of Claim for Wages with the Wage and Workplace Standards Division of the Connecticut Department of Labor.

Official Connecticut Sources & Resources

• Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division: https://portal.ct.gov/dol/divisions/wage-and-workplace-standards
• Connecticut statute (Restaurant and hotel-restaurant workers get time and a half the minimum rate on a 7th consecutive day.): https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_558.htm
• Verified source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state
• U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — state payday requirements: dol.gov

This connecticut overtime laws guide was last verified against official Connecticut sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current figure with the state agency or a licensed attorney.

More Connecticut Workplace Rights Guides

• Connecticut Break Laws: Meal and Rest Breaks
• Connecticut Final Paycheck Law: Deadlines and Penalties
• Connecticut Labor Laws: Every Rule in One Place
• Connecticut Unemployment Benefits: How Much and How Long
• Unemployment and Workplace Rights Guides for All 50 States

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. My Unemployment Rights is an independent educational resource, not a government agency and not a law firm. Final-paycheck deadlines, penalties and non compete rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it. Confirm the current rule with your state labor department or a licensed attorney before you act.