On Wednesday, the Connecticut House approved expanding state regulation of large warehouse distribution centers and how they monitor the productivity and performance of their workers.
The bill would require that warehouse owners with more than 100 employees in one location provide workers with detailed productivity metrics and explain any changes to their daily quota.
House Speaker Matt Ritter said that the state’s attorney general or the workers themselves would have the right to demand the information.
“If you are denying someone the ability to use the bathroom with this law, I’m sure they would have a strong cause of action,” he said.
“The bill would help protect workers' rights, ensuring that a lunch break can be taken, ensuring that bathroom breaks can be taken and not be held against them,” said Jason Rojas, the Democratic majority leader.
“A process by which civil action can be sought either by the attorney general or individual employees in court and then there is a fine structure for any warehouse that is found to be in violation,” Rojas said.
Republicans voted against the bill. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora said it unfairly targets Amazon, the only company that has such supersized distribution centers in the state.
“We’ve heard from Amazon, in particular. They say they let their employees go to the bathroom. There are federal laws that require breaks for employees. So, to suggest there is this horrible working condition really sets the wrong tone,” he said.
Amazon employs more than 17,000 workers in Connecticut and has significantly grown in the state, investing more than $10 billion in the past 15 years.
The bill has the support of Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont. It now goes to the Senate for action.
