Connecticut · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Connecticut wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Connecticut’s minimum wage, the final-paycheck rules, the deadlines and where to file, in plain English.

$16.94minimum wage in 2026
$6.38tipped cash wage
Nodaily overtime
Next business dayfinal pay if fired
2 yearstime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Connecticut

Wage claims in Connecticut go to this state office. Filing is usually free.

Office
Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division
Phone
860-263-6790
Languages
Complaint filing available in Spanish (separate Spanish link on the complaint page)
Official wage claim page

For federal minimum wage and overtime you can also contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: 1-866-487-9243. How federal claims work.

How to file a wage claim in Connecticut

  1. Gather your records

    Dates and hours worked, your pay rate, pay stubs or bank deposits, texts or schedules, and the employer's name and address.

  2. Ask in writing first (optional)

    A demand letter gives your employer a deadline to pay and shows you tried. Use the free letter on this page.

  3. File with Connecticut Department of Labor

    File a 'Statement of Claim for Wages' with the Wage and Workplace Standards Division to recover unpaid or missed wages; the form is linked from the Department's complaint page (English and Spanish), and you can also get help at a local American Job Center or by calling 860-263-6790 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). The Division investigates and can collect the unpaid wages plus interest, or sue your employer for double the wages. Filing is free. The Division says it is currently 8 to 10 months behind in assigning new claims. If you were punished for complaining, file a separate retaliation complaint with the Department's Legal Division.

  4. Watch the deadline

    2 years: you must sue within 2 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-596), and the Division only investigates unpaid wages from the two years before you file. Filing a wage complaint with the Labor Commissioner pauses (tolls) the 2-year court deadline (§ 52-596).

Minimum wage and overtime in Connecticut

Connecticut's minimum wage is $16.94 an hour from January 1 through December 31, 2026 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-58). It rises to $17.48 on January 1, 2027, and is adjusted every January 1 based on the federal employment cost index. Some minors and learners can be paid 85% of the minimum wage.

Minimum wage (2026)
$16.94
Tipped cash wage
$6.38
Next change
$17.48 on January 1, 2027

Overtime

You must get 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-76c). There is no daily overtime and no required extra pay for weekends or holidays unless agreed. In restaurants and hotel restaurants, the 7th consecutive day of work must be paid at 1.5 times the minimum rate. Exemptions include executive, administrative and professional employees, car salespeople, certain federally regulated drivers, and outside salespeople.

Paydays: Weekly or once every two weeks on a regular payday set in advance, and the pay period must end no more than 8 days before payday (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71b). The Labor Commissioner can approve less frequent paydays.

Your final paycheck in Connecticut

If you are fired or laid off
By the next business day after you are fired (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71c(b)).
If you quit
By the next regular payday, through regular payment channels or by mail. If you are laid off, also by the next regular payday (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71c(a), (c)).
Law
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71c

When was your final paycheck due in Connecticut?

Enter how your job ended and your last day of work. We show your state’s rule and, when the rule is a simple number of days or your next payday, the date.

Enter your last day of workThe result appears when you pick a date.

Dates are approximate: we skip weekends for business and working days but not holidays. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Penalties your employer may owe

If you sue for unpaid wages, you recover twice the unpaid wages plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees; you get only the unpaid amount (plus fees) if the employer proves it believed in good faith it was following the law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-72). The same double-damages rule applies to unpaid minimum wage or overtime (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-68). The Labor Commissioner can collect wages plus interest or sue for double wages.

Retaliation and immigration status

Your employer may not fire, discipline, penalize or discriminate against you for filing a wage claim, starting an investigation or testifying. You can file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner, who holds a hearing and can order reinstatement, back pay and attorney's fees (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-69b).

Federal law also makes it illegal to fire or punish you for filing a wage complaint or cooperating in an investigation (US DOL Fact Sheet #77A).

The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces federal wage law without regard to immigration status, and its services are free and confidential whether you are documented or not (US DOL).

Deductions and tips

Your employer may not take money out of your pay unless state or federal law requires it, you authorized it in writing on a form approved by the Labor Commissioner, or it is for medical insurance or a retirement plan (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71e). In hotels and restaurants, tipped workers can be paid a cash wage of $6.38 an hour ($8.23 for bartenders) plus tips in 2026, but tips must bring them up to the full minimum wage.

Good to know in Connecticut

  • The Division is 8 to 10 months behind in assigning new wage claims, so file as soon as possible; it only looks back two years.
  • If you are fired, your full final pay is due the next business day.

Forms

Wage-theft calculator for Connecticut

Work out what you should have been paid: at least the minimum wage for every hour, plus overtime. Then compare it with what you got.

If a higher city or county minimum wage applies where you work, enter that rate if it is more than you were promised.

Before taxes, if you know it. Leave it empty to see only what you were owed.

Fill in your pay, hours and weeksThe result appears as you type.

Connecticut overtime rule: You must get 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-76c). There is no daily overtime and no required extra pay for weekends or holidays unless agreed. In restaurants and hotel restaurants, the 7th consecutive day of work must be paid at 1.5 times the minimum rate. Exemptions include executive, administrative and professional employees, car salespeople, certain federally regulated drivers, and outside salespeople.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Connecticut: If you sue for unpaid wages, you recover twice the unpaid wages plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees; you get only the unpaid amount (plus fees) if the employer proves it believed in good faith it was following the law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-72). The same double-damages rule applies to unpaid minimum wage or overtime (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-68). The Labor Commissioner can collect wages plus interest or sue for double wages.

Tipped workers: this calculator does not count tips. In many states your employer may pay a lower cash wage if your tips make up the difference to the minimum wage; see your state’s page.

An estimate from the numbers you enter and Connecticut’s rules, not legal advice. Nothing you type in this calculator is sent anywhere.

Free demand letter for unpaid wages

A short, firm letter asking your employer to pay what it owes by a deadline. Many workers get paid at this step, and in some states a written demand starts penalties or makes the employer pay your attorney fees later. Fill this in, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail or an email you keep.

When you download or copy the letter, the details you typed are saved on our server. See our privacy policy.

The name on your pay stubs, checks or the business sign. If you only know the owner’s name, use that.

Use the calculator above if you are not sure.

We suggest 10 days.

What were you not paid? (required)

One or two sentences with dates, hours and amounts.

Questions about wage claims in Connecticut

Where do I file a wage claim in Connecticut?

With Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division. Phone: 860-263-6790. File a 'Statement of Claim for Wages' with the Wage and Workplace Standards Division to recover unpaid or missed wages; the form is linked from the Department's complaint page (English and Spanish), and you can also get help at a local American Job Center or by calling 860-263-6790 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). The Division investigates and can collect the unpaid wages plus interest, or sue your employer for double the wages. Filing is free. The Division says it is currently 8 to 10 months behind in assigning new claims. If you were punished for complaining, file a separate retaliation complaint with the Department's Legal Division.

What is the minimum wage in Connecticut in 2026?

Connecticut's minimum wage is $16.94 an hour from January 1 through December 31, 2026 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-58). It rises to $17.48 on January 1, 2027, and is adjusted every January 1 based on the federal employment cost index. Some minors and learners can be paid 85% of the minimum wage.

Does Connecticut have daily overtime?

You must get 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-76c). There is no daily overtime and no required extra pay for weekends or holidays unless agreed. In restaurants and hotel restaurants, the 7th consecutive day of work must be paid at 1.5 times the minimum rate. Exemptions include executive, administrative and professional employees, car salespeople, certain federally regulated drivers, and outside salespeople.

When is my final paycheck due in Connecticut if I'm fired?

By the next business day after you are fired (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71c(b)).

When is my final paycheck due in Connecticut if I quit?

By the next regular payday, through regular payment channels or by mail. If you are laid off, also by the next regular payday (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-71c(a), (c)).

How long do I have to file a wage claim in Connecticut?

2 years: you must sue within 2 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-596), and the Division only investigates unpaid wages from the two years before you file. Filing a wage complaint with the Labor Commissioner pauses (tolls) the 2-year court deadline (§ 52-596).

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Connecticut?

If you sue for unpaid wages, you recover twice the unpaid wages plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees; you get only the unpaid amount (plus fees) if the employer proves it believed in good faith it was following the law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-72). The same double-damages rule applies to unpaid minimum wage or overtime (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-68). The Labor Commissioner can collect wages plus interest or sue for double wages.

Can my employer fire me for filing a wage claim in Connecticut?

Your employer may not fire, discipline, penalize or discriminate against you for filing a wage claim, starting an investigation or testifying. You can file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner, who holds a hearing and can order reinstatement, back pay and attorney's fees (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-69b).

Employer still won't pay? Small claims court is often the next step for amounts under the state limit.

Small claims in Connecticut
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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