House passage of bill, Governor’s support, bring about great concern
HARTFORD, May 31, 2019 – As the full House approves a 12-week family leave bill, and Gov. Ned Lamont simultaneously announces a deal with lawmakers to sign a leave bill into law, many small businesses are extremely concerned about the impact of such legislation. Andrew Markowski, state director of NFIB in Connecticut, a small business association representing thousands of small businesses in the state offers the following comments:
“Small businesses owners, who create about half the jobs in this state, have been telling lawmakers for months how difficult a 12-week paid leave will be, and their voices fell on deaf ears. They explained their employees are already offered flexible arrangements so they can take leave, but a one-size-fits-all government mandate will make it very difficult to get the work done.
“Family business owners and entrepreneurs feel the stress rising, and are worried because this bill is very close to becoming law, but they have no answer for how for how to handle its implementation. When one person is out for that long, and that employee is highly skilled, or holds safety certifications, it may be impossible to replace them. The worst nightmare for the business owner now, is the work screeches to a halt.
“Lawmakers who voted for this bill can expect to hear from small businesses owners who remain concerned about the impact of this legislation upon them and their workforce. These businesses are the backbone of these neighborhoods and they are afraid that this well-meaning but misguided legislation could wreak havoc upon them.”
Andrew Markowski
NFIB’s Connecticut State Director
[email protected]
