Statutory Benefits for Teachers in Connecticut

by Joseph C. Maya on Mar. 23, 2018

Employment Employment Contracts Employment  Pension & Benefits 

Summary: A blog post about employment benefits for tenured Connecticut teachers.

If you have a question or concern about school administration, federal standards, or the overall rights of a student or teacher, please feel free to call the expert education and  employment law attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. today at (203) 221-3100 or JMaya@Mayalaw.com.

Included within the laws of the State of Connecticut, are certain benefits that are statutorily provided to teachers, with one of the major benefits being sick leave.  Under Connecticut General Statute §10-156, each professional employee certified by the State Board of Education, and employed by a local or regional Board of Education, shall be entitled to a minimum of fifteen (15) school days in each school year of sick time with full pay.  Any unused sick time will be accumulated from year to year, as long as the teacher remains continuously employed with the same Board of Education, and as further authorized by such Board of Education.

Teachers are further statutorily entitled to a duty-free lunch period under Connecticut General Statute §10-156a.  Each teacher whom is certified by the State Board of Education, and is employed by a local or regional Board of Education of any town or regional district to work directly with children, “shall have a guaranteed duty-free period for lunch which shall be scheduled as a single period of consecutive minutes.”

Connecticut teachers are also statutorily provided time for military service.  Under Connecticut General Statute §10-156c, each professional employee certified by the State Board of Education, and employed by a local or regional Board of Education, who is a member of the reserve corps of any branch of the armed forces of the United States, shall be entitled to be absent from their employment or services while engaged in required field training in the reserve corps.  Teachers falling under this category are expressly protected from being subjected, by any person, directly or indirectly, by reason of such absence, to any loss or reduction of vacation or holiday privileges, or prejudiced by reason of such absence with reference to promotions or the continuance in employment, or to reemployment.  However, the limit on such absences over the period of any calendar year is thirty (30) days.  Further, any teacher who leaves their employment for the purpose of entering the armed forces of the United States, shall be reemployed by the Board of Education, provided the teacher makes application for return to such employment within ninety (90) days after receiving a certificate of honorable separation from the armed forces. C.G.S. 10-156d.

Following his or her return from the armed forces, a teacher is entitled to their former position and duties, if such employment is available.  If his or her former position is not available upon their return, the teacher is entitled to an equivalent position, if available, or if such position is not available, such teacher is entitled to any available position for which he or she is qualified.  Any employee returning to the employ of the Board of Education from the armed forces is further credited with the period of their service in the armed forces to the same extent as though he or she had been a part of the term of employment by the Board of Education.  However, the reinstatement of a teacher following the armed forces does not apply to any teacher who, because of voluntary reenlistment, has been absent from their employment for a period of more than three (3) years.

If you are an employer or teacher and are faced with teacher benefit questions, contact the experienced employment law attorneys today at 203-221-3100, or by email at JMaya@mayalaw.com. We have the experience and knowledge you need at this critical juncture. We serve clients in both New York and Connecticut including New Canaan, Bridgeport, White Plains, and Darien.


Source: C.G.S. §10-156

Legal Articles Additional Disclaimer

Lawyer.com is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. Content posted on Lawyer.com is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated and is not reviewed or commented on by Lawyer.com. The application of law to any set of facts is a highly specialized skill, practiced by lawyers and often dependent on jurisdiction. Content on the site of a legal nature may or may not be accurate for a particular state or jurisdiction and may largely depend on specific circumstances surrounding individual cases, which may or may not be consistent with your circumstances or may no longer be up-to-date to the extent that laws have changed since posting. Legal articles therefore are for review as general research and for use in helping to gauge a lawyer's expertise on a matter. If you are seeking specific legal advice, Lawyer.com recommends that you contact a lawyer to review your specific issues. See Lawyer.com's full Terms of Use for more information.