Skip to content

FMLA: A Painful Reminder of the Importance of Supervisor Training

The importance of training supervisors on how to recognize and deal with employee leave issues cannot be overstated. And here’s a painful example of why… Grace, an employee at a group home where she provided support to residents with mental impairments, was unexpectedly hospitalized due to a mental health condition. Grace had her son call […]

Maximum Leave Policies Can Cost Employers – Big Time

UPS recently agreed to pay a $2M to settle a disability discrimination suit brought by the EEOC relative to its maximum leave policy. The company’s policy required “administrative separation” if an employee was unable to return to work after 12 months.  The EEOC said this inflexible leave policy violated the ADA. In addition to the […]

Increased Salary Threshold for Overtime Exemptions Struck Down By Federal Judge

In a victory for employers in Connecticut and across the country, a federal district court in Texas last week invalidated the Obama Administration’s Department of Labor overtime regulation which sought to increase the salary threshold for the overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $913 per week […]

Responding to Requests for Employee Leave for Disaster Relief Efforts

In response to Hurricane Harvey’s destruction in Texas and Louisiana, employees may wish to take time off from work to participate in the cleanup efforts.  Employers may wonder what their obligations are when faced with requests for leave. Public Sector State employees who are certified disaster service volunteers with the American Red Cross may, with […]

Back to School for Employees – How to Design a Successful Tuition Reimbursement Program

A tuition reimbursement program can be a very attractive employee recruitment and retention tool, while simultaneously providing employers with the benefit of a more educated workforce.  Launching a tuition reimbursement program sends employees the message that you value them and their growth enough to invest in their futures. Such programs can be tax-favored as well.  […]

Employers Must Update Their New-Hire Paperwork By September 18th – Again

Starting September 18, 2017, all employers will be required to use a new I-9 Form, the form used to verify an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States.  The most recent change to the I-9 was less than a year ago, so it is important to ensure that you are using the edition dated […]

Connecticut Discrimination Statutes Still Cover Sexual Orientation

The United States Department of Justice recently filed a friend of the court brief with the Eastern District Court of New York arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not cover sexual orientation.  However despite what is taking place at the National level, Connecticut has a separate statute which governs discrimination against […]

Is Your Website Handicap Accessible?

It is illegal for public entities to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.  No one disputes this premise.  But did you know that if your website does not meet certain standards of accessibility you could be the subject of a complaint and investigation by OCR? In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights […]

Legislature Expands Pregnancy Protections, Malloy Set To Sign

Just before the end of the legislative session, Public Act 17-118: An Act Concerning Pregnant Women in the Workplace, passed and is expected to be signed by the Governor.  Effective October 1st, this Bill amends Connecticut’s existing Pregnancy Discrimination Statute, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-60 by expanding the employment protections provided to pregnant women and requiring […]

The May 1st Dilemma: Non-Renewal vs. Layoff

Typically this time of year school district administrators ponder whether to “non-renew” non-tenured teachers in response to budget uncertainty, as opposed to waiting for the fiscal picture to become clear and possibly laying off teachers at a later time.  Given the state budget crisis, and unprecedented major cuts in funding on the table, the uncertainty […]