Connecticut Employment Law Blog

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Latest from Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Employment Law Checklist Project: No Discrimination for Sexual Orientation, Unless You’re a Religious Institution

By Daniel Schwartz on August 20, 2019

One of the quirks of discrimination law in Connecticut concerns sexual orientation. Back in 1991, the General Assembly passed a wide-ranging bill that added sexual orientation as one of the protected classes that employers could not base decisions on. Sort of. Rather than add sexual orientation to the key employment law statute that bars discrimination in employment, it created it’s own separate law. While there may have been reasons for such a distinction nearly 30…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Employment Law Checklist Project: Relaying Information of a Family Emergency to Employees

By Daniel Schwartz on July 31, 2019

One of the reasons I’m working on this project is to highlight the mandates and requirements that employers in the state need to follow. Some can lead to possible litigation; some can lead to, well, something less. Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 31-51jj is an example of the something less. The key language of the provision is as follows: An employer shall notify an employee of an incoming emergency telephone call for the employee if the…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Employment Law Checklist Project: Thou Shall Not Require Employees to be Sterilized As Condition of Employment

By Daniel Schwartz on July 30, 2019

In my new series (you can read the background here), I’m going to highlight an employment law that employers in Connecticut need to follow. Some of them can lead to lawsuits; some may just lead to fines. I’ve titled this the “Employment Law Checklist Project”. First up: Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 31-40h. This law states: No employer, including the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall condition the employment, transfer or promotion of any…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Employment Law Checklist Project: Introduction

By Daniel Schwartz on July 30, 2019

One of my colleagues, Mike Chase has, for the last several years, been tweeting at “Crime a Day” about the various federal criminal laws and regulations that we have. Or rather, the thousands upon thousands of them. In fact, Mike has now put out a great book “How to Become a Federal Criminal” that is the perfect beach read or birthday gift. The point Mike likes to make is this: Congress has been so careless in …

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Restaurant “Service Duties” Bill Fails to Get Veto Override; “Deal” Being Sought

By Daniel Schwartz on July 25, 2019

A bill that would have brought the state’s tipping regulations in line with federal regulations was not brought up for a veto override vote earlier this week. I previously covered the subject in prior posts here and here. According to a report in CT Mirror, a “deal” is now being sought that would allow the issue to be brought back before the General Assembly. However, that may not happen until next year. (Update on July…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

“Go Back to Your Country” Language as a Basis for Employment Discrimination Claims

By Daniel Schwartz on July 16, 2019

Over the weekend, President Trump tweeted out that several prominent “‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen” (who, it shouldn’t have to be said but does, are all American citizens, most of whom were born in the United States) should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” This language has, rightly, been condemned. But I wondered — what does employment law have to say about this type of language in…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Governor Vetoes Restaurant Bill; General Assembly May Move to Override

By Daniel Schwartz on July 15, 2019

Late Friday, Governor Lamont vetoed House Bill 5001, which I had highlighted in an earlier post as being passed during the waning hours of the legislative session. That bill would have rescinded a particular labor regulation and required the Department of Labor to promulgate a new regulation in its place. In vetoing the measure, Governor Lamont noted that the “while it may be reasonable to conclude that state and federal laws should be consistent…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

New Law Prohibits Discrimination Against Members of Civil Air Patrol

By Daniel Schwartz on July 9, 2019

As the dust continues to settle from the General Assembly, bills that didn’t get a lot of press beforehand are continuing to come into the light. One of them is new Public Act 19-95, which was just signed by Governor Lamont yesterday. The bill treats being a member of the “Civil Air Patrol” as a new protected class and prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee because the employee is absent from…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

You’re a Grand Old Flag – A (Very) Brief History in Employment Law

By Daniel Schwartz on July 2, 2019

With Independence Day nearly upon us (and with many offices on skeleton crews this week), I thought I would take a very brief look back at a case that has particular relevance to the Grand Old Flag and displays of patriotism in the workplace. If you’ve never read about Cotto v. United Technologies Corp., you should. It’s a long-forgotten Connecticut Supreme Court case from 1999 that is a cornerstone opinion in the area of…

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Little-Noticed Bill Revokes Key Restaurant Regulation, Suggests Adoption of USDOL Rule for Waitstaff

By Daniel Schwartz on June 26, 2019

Update: Governor Lamont vetoed this bill on July 12, 2019. Bear with me because this is a story about how a little provision slipped in at the last minute and buried deep in a innocuously-titled bill will have big implications for the restaurant industry in Connecticut. You might have missed House Bill 5001 (now Public Act 19-198) titled “AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY WORKFORCE TRAINING NEEDS IN THE STATE.” There was no …

Connecticut Employment Law Blog

Insight on Labor & Employment Developments for Connecticut Businesses

Blog Authors

Employment Law Checklist Project: No Discrimination for Sexual Orientation, Unless You’re a Religious Institution

Employment Law Checklist Project: Relaying Information of a Family Emergency to Employees

Employment Law Checklist Project: Thou Shall Not Require Employees to be Sterilized As Condition of Employment

Employment Law Checklist Project: Introduction

Restaurant “Service Duties” Bill Fails to Get Veto Override; “Deal” Being Sought

“Go Back to Your Country” Language as a Basis for Employment Discrimination Claims

Governor Vetoes Restaurant Bill; General Assembly May Move to Override

New Law Prohibits Discrimination Against Members of Civil Air Patrol

You’re a Grand Old Flag – A (Very) Brief History in Employment Law

Little-Noticed Bill Revokes Key Restaurant Regulation, Suggests Adoption of USDOL Rule for Waitstaff

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