Connecticut workers' comp for cleaning contractors in 2026, after the 2025 law cut temporary partial disability to 60 weeks

How workers' comp works for janitorial in Connecticut

Connecticut is an NCCI state with a competitive private insurance market. The Connecticut Workers' Compensation Commission (WCC) administers all claims through seven district offices. The Commission's Chairperson publishes annual benefit tables each October, reset to reflect the state average weekly wage. Connecticut's benefit maximum resets October 1 (unlike most states' July 1 reset), giving janitorial employers a slightly different annual planning cycle. The state enacted significant 2025 legislation (effective July 1, 2025) amending C.G.S. §31-308a to limit temporary partial disability benefits to 60 weeks post-MMI — a notable change reducing long-tail TPD exposure that disproportionately affected janitorial accounts.

Class code and rate (2026)

• Code 9014 — Janitorial Services by Contractors, No Window Cleaning Above Ground Level & Drivers. Connecticut NCCI filed a -3.8% voluntary market loss cost decrease effective January 1, 2026. Indicative market rate: approximately $2.83/$100 payroll in 2026 (down from ~$2.94/$100 in 2025).
• Code 9170 — Above-ground window cleaning. Meaningfully higher rate; payroll must be separately maintained.

Indemnity benefits (Connecticut 2026)

• Max weekly TTD/PTD: $1,716 (effective 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026, per CT WCC benefit tables; = 100% of state average weekly wage of $1,715.03).
• Min weekly TTD: $343.20 (20% of $1,716 maximum; C.G.S. §31-310), not to exceed 75% of actual average weekly earnings.
• Max weekly temporary partial disability: $1,220 (effective 10/1/2025–9/30/2026).
• Max/min weekly PPD: max $1,220; min $50.
• Waiting period: 3 calendar days; first 3 days paid retroactively if disability exceeds 7 days (C.G.S. §31-294d).
• 2025 legislative change: TPD benefits after MMI capped at 60 weeks with participation in vocational rehabilitation (C.G.S. §31-308a(c), effective 7/1/2025) — reduces maximum TPD duration from the previous 520-week Gardner ruling.

Coverage thresholds and exemptions

• Mandatory for all employers with 1 or more employees; no employee-count threshold (C.G.S. §31-284(a)).
• Sole proprietors and partners may elect coverage voluntarily.
• Independent contractor test: Connecticut applies a three-part ABC test (C.G.S. §31-222); cleaning workers are almost always employees under part B (integral to the business's usual operations) and part C (established trade/occupation).

Failure-to-insure penalty

Willful failure to comply with the insurance requirement is a Class D felony under C.G.S. §31-288(f). Civil penalties include a minimum of $500 per employee (or $5,000 whichever is less) per finding, up to a $50,000 aggregate maximum, plus $100/day after a formal finding of noncompliance. The Labor Commissioner may also issue a stop-work order (C.G.S. §31-76a). The employer remains personally liable for all WC benefits that would have been paid by insurance.

Cost drivers specific to janitorial in Connecticut

• Top injuries (BLS NAICS 561720): slips on wet floors, repetitive-motion MSDs, chemical inhalation — Connecticut's high wage base amplifies TTD exposure at the $1,716/week maximum.
• Connecticut's high average weekly wage ($1,715) means a fully disabled janitorial worker collecting maximum TTD costs $1,716/week — the highest absolute cap in this 10-state batch.
• Bid-math note: at ~$2.83/$100, load WC at approximately 2.85% of gross wages in Connecticut bids. The 2025 TPD reform reduces long-tail exposure and should benefit renewal EMRs going forward.

Primary sources

• Connecticut Workers' Compensation Commission
• CT WCC Benefit Rate Tables 10/1/2025–9/30/2026
• CT Insurance Department — NCCI 2026 Rate Filing
• NCCI Class Code Lookup
• BLS NAICS 561720 Injury Data