Public Hearing Testimony of Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo
Department of Labor
Labor and Public Employees Committee
March 10, 2026
Good morning Senator Kushner, Representative Sanchez, Senator Sampson, Representative Weir and members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with this written testimony regarding S.B. 436 AN ACT CONCERNING ADVANCED NOTICE OF AN EMPLOYEE'S WORK SCHEDULE BY AN EMPLOYER. My name is Danté Bartolomeo, and I am the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL).
SB 436 would prohibit on-call shift scheduling in certain industries and occupations, therefore providing certainty and reliability to workers who have personal responsibilities outside of their employment. This bill covers a large population of employers and employees in the wholesale and retail sale industry, as well as occupations within the restaurant industry, nursing or residential care facilities, and hotel, motel, and resort facilities.
Section 8 of SB 436 establishes a private right of action which would allow employees to “…file a complaint in the Superior Court to recover compensatory damages, civil penalties and such equitable and injunctive relief as the court deems appropriate.”. However, CTDOL will still have responsibilities under this bill.
Section 9 of SB 436 mandates that CTDOL review whistleblower complaints and issue a decision stating whether the whistleblower may proceed with a civil action on behalf of the state or if CTDOL will pursue such action. Sec. 9 also provides that CTDOL must issue that decision within thirty days of receipt of the complaint.
CTDOL opposes Section 9 of this bill. We believe that directing CTDOL to intervene in an individual’s right to access Judicial Branch remedies is beyond the appropriate use of our authority. In addition, if this bill passes, the thirty-day deadline to issue a decision is onerous. While the agency is in the process of expanding the Wage and Workplace Standards Division staffing, there are a significant number of complaints in the queue which should be prioritized based on the nature and seriousness of the complaints, not based upon mandated timelines.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide the Committee with this written testimony. My staff and I are reachable to further discuss SB 436 by directing any questions you may have to Billy Taylor, Legislative and Administrative Advisor at william.b.taylor@ct.gov or 203-947-4136.
