A Message from our Chairman

Dear Chamber Member,


Congratulations to Larry Erickson: the 2025 Lewis A. Dibble, Sr. Award recipient, who will be honored during the Naugatuck Chamber's 103rd Annual Meeting & Awards event on March 12 at Aria in Prospect. To register for the event, click here.


Is your company or organization hiring? The Chamber's next job fair will take place on Thursday, February 20 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury. Get in front of hundreds of qualified candidates. Gain exposure for your business through event promotion and receive two complimentary job listings on our job board. To learn more, click here.


The Chamber's annual membership drive kicks off on January 30. If you have any leads on businesses or organizations who you think might benefit from being a part of the largest Chamber of commerce network in New Haven County, have them call Membership Director Jim Beland at 203-757-0701 or email him at jbeland@waterburychamber.com. Businesses can join directly online here.


It's never too early to think about Duck Day, which is the Chamber's biggest community event of the year. Now in its 20th year, this free family-oriented event will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025 in downtown Naugatuck. The success of this event is due in large part to the support of our business community. Do you know a non-profit who would like to participate and fundraise by selling tickets? We are also looking for food and business vendors, along with sponsors. Please contact the Chamber at 203-757-0701 to show your support!


Thank you for your continued support, and best wishes for a successful end to the year.

Thank you for your continued membership,

Chet Doheny

We Do Life Together, a Division of ICES, Inc.

Naugatuck Chamber, Chairman of the Board

In This Issue
  • Chairman's Note
  • Upcoming Events
  • Submit Your Content
  • Hiring & Training Programs Available
  • HR Corner Corner by Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP

Welcome Our Newest Members

KindCare Naugatuck


We Found It Thrift Store

March 12: 103rd Annual Meeting and Lewis A. Dibble, Sr. Award Dinner Honoring Larry Erickson

The Naugatuck Chamber will present its 2025 Lewis A. Dibble Sr. Award on March 12, 2025 to Larry Erickson, the owner of Jesse Camilles.


The award, presented annually by the Chamber, recognizes an individual’s outstanding contributions to the business and the socioeconomic well-being of Naugatuck. Erickson will receive the award during the Naugatuck Chamber’s 103rd Annual Meeting and Lewis A. Dibble Award Dinner on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at Aria Wedding and Banquet Facility in Prospect. The event will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards program at 6:30 p.m.


Businesses interested in showing support for the Chamber and the local business community can sponsor the event; those wishing to have their company represented on the event invitation should contact Events Director Barbara Sorosiak at bsorosiak@waterburychamber.com by February 4, 2025.

RSVP
Sponsorship Opportunities

Thank You to our Naugatuck Members Who Renewed in December

C2G Environmental Consultants, LLC

Chittenden Group

CT Pest Solutions

Diversified Financial Solutions PC

Down to Earth, LLC

FITZPATRICK | SANTOS | SOUSA | PERUGINI PC

Howard Whittemore Memorial Library

Ion Bank

Liberty Bank

Naugatuck Podiatry Associates

Naugatuck Youth Services, Inc.

New England Systems

Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers

Rich's Car Works

The Club Health & Fitness

Webster Bank

Wellmore Behavioral Health

Upcoming Chamber Events

Register Now
Submit Your News and Social Media Content
Do you have upcoming events, company news, specials, or other-related information you'd like the Chamber to promote in our next Chamber Member newsletter or on one of our many social media platforms? You can submit your content by emailing Communications Director David Huck. Leverage the Chamber and allow us to spread your message to thousands of individuals.
Hiring & Training Programs Available

The Northwest Construction Careers Initiative

NCCI — The Northwest Construction Careers Initiative — offers Northwest Connecticut residents the opportunity to pursue a career in the construction and building trades. Job training and employment possibilities include: 

  • OSHA 10, OSHA 30, and Hazwoper certifications
  • CORE Curriculum, which includes HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical

Orientation sessions are held each Thursday at 249 Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury, CT beginning at 10AM. You do not need to RSVP to attend, but you will need to be on time to participate. 

Healthcare training program

The NRWIB is currently offering training opportunities in the following fields:

  • Patient Care Technician
  • Central Sterile Processing
  • Emergency Medical Technician
  • Certified Nurse’s Aide
  • Community Health Worker

CT WHISP Program

Connecticut Workforce & High-Tech Industry Skills Partnership (CTWhisp) Program offers a variety of IT career training at schools such as Naugatuck Valley Community College and Patrick’s Academy.


Naugatuck Valley Community College in partnership with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board is offering grant-funded, short-term (15 weeks), IT course clusters aligned with industry certifications and supportive services. Clusters include Networking, Programming, Systems, Software and Project Management. Each IT cluster has been mapped to Microsoft and/or CompTIA certifications. The course clusters are offered free of charge to eligible CTWHISP participants. Additional services include enrollment assistance, academic advising, and employment services. In addition to gaining skills and stackable credentials, participants at NVCC will earn between 9-12 college credits that may be used towards a degree.

More Information

HR Corner: REMINDER: Connecticut's Expanded Paid Sick Leave Law Effective January 1, 2025

This HR Corner is brought to you by Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP. Written by Attorney Vincent Farisello

Major changes to Connecticut’s paid sick leave law became effective as of January 1, 2025, and apply to employers with at least 25 employees. The paid sick leave law will gradually expand coverage to employers with at least 11 employees on January 1, 2026, and to all employers with at least one employee on January 1, 2027.

 

The new law increases the rate at which covered employees accrue paid sick leave benefits, expands the reasons for which paid sick leave may be used, and expands the list of family members for whom a covered employee may take paid sick leave.

Reasons for Leave and Covered Family Members

The new law permits the use of paid sick leave for “family members,” applying the same definition of “family member” as Connecticut’s Family and Medical Leave Act. Family members include spouses, siblings, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and parents, as well as individuals who are “related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be equivalent of those family relationships.”


Employees will be permitted to take leave for the following reasons:

  • An employee’s or employee’s family member’s: (1) illness, injury, or health condition; (2) medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of the employee or employee’s family member’s physical illness, injury or health condition; or (3) preventive medical care.
  • Mental health wellness day.
  • Closures of the employee’s workplace or family member’s school or place of care by order of a public official due to a public health emergency.
  • In certain cases where an employee or employee’s family member has been exposed to a communicable illness.
  • For certain reasons where an employee or employee’s family member is a victim of family violence or sexual assault.


Leave Accrual and Carryover

Covered employees accrue leave at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked up to 40 hours per benefit year. Employees who accrue paid sick leave must be permitted to carryover up to 40 hours of unpaid sick leave from one year to the next unless employers “frontload” paid sick leave to covered employees. In such cases, employers are not required to allow carryover of unused time. 

 

For newly covered employers and employees, leave will begin to accrue (or be frontloaded) on January 1 of the year they become covered (i.e., 2025 for employers with at least 25 employees, 2026 for employers with at least 11 employees, and 2027 for employers with at least one employee).

 

Leave Availability for New Employees

New employees may use paid sick leave beginning on the 120th calendar day of their employment. 

 

Documentation

Employers are prohibited from requiring an employee to provide any documentation confirming that paid sick leave is being taken for a permitted purpose.

 

Takeaways

There are a number of other provisions of the new law, including expanded employee protections and significant changes to employer and employee notice requirements.

 

It is critical for employers to review their policies and handbooks for compliance and ensure that they are updated as needed. Even employers that already offer 40 hours of paid time off to their employees or those whose policies comply with the current law must review and update their policies to ensure compliance with the many changes under the new law.

 

This information is for educational purposes only to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.

Upcoming Events

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