On May 5, 2010, Governor M. Jodi Rell of the State of Connecticut signed into law Public Act 10-12, An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Joint Enforcement Commission on Employee Misclassification. Under the law, effective October 1, 2010, the penalty for misclassifying workers as independent contractors goes from $300 per violation to $300 per day per violation. Additionally, the failure to properly classify workers with the intent to injure, defraud or deceive the state of Connecticut (in addition to insurance companies) by failing to pay workers’ compensation assessments or Second Injury Fund assessments is now a class D felony. Given the severe penalties for misclassifying workers in Connecticut, as well as increased enforcement at both the state and federal levels, Vision Payroll strongly recommends employers consult with a competent labor law attorney to assure compliance with federal and state worker classification laws.