Election Day is rapidly approaching and voter turnout is expected to be particularly high. While many states have laws providing time off for employees to vote, Connecticut is not one of them. How should employers handle requests for time off to vote? Polls in Connecticut are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. A voter […]
On October 11, 2016, less than a week away, a final rule amending the regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will take effect. The new regulations will provide guidance to local government entities, including school districts, regarding the interpretation and application of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). Important for educators, […]
The Second Circuit recently adopted the “cat’s paw” theory of liability for retaliation claims brought under Title VII, holding that “an employee’s retaliatory intent may be imputed to an employer where the employer’s own negligence gives effect to the employee’s retaliatory animus and cause the victim to suffer an adverse employment decision.” Vasquez v. Empress Ambulance […]
Effective July 1, 2016, local or regional boards of education, governing councils of state or local charter schools and inter-district magnet school operators (collectively “BOEs”), are going to have to follow new requirements for hiring education personnel. The state legislature recently enacted Public Act 16-67 (“the Act”) in response to a new provision in the […]
A recent decision from the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) may significantly weaken the “management rights” clauses found in many collective bargaining agreements. A management rights clause reserves certain rights to management, often anything not covered by the collective bargaining agreement. When a right is reserved to management, it can be changed unilaterally by the employer without […]
Election season is here and the evidence can be viewed all around an employer’s campus: from bumper stickers on the cars in the parking lots; buttons festooned to employees; even screen savers on company computers; now more than ever broadcasting your support is easy. However, with that support may come problems for the workplace. Connecticut’s […]
Employers must immediately update their federal labor law posters. The United States Department of Labor, with little notice, issued new posters related to the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Employee Polygraph Protection Act. The new posters are available for download here and here. It is important to ensure you are posting the correct posters at all times, including all required state and […]
On June 10, 2016, the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration (SBMA) announced it would be raising the filing fees for grievance arbitration for the first time in at least 17 years (the last time the regulation was amended). Effective July 1, 2016, the fee for submitting a grievance to the SBMA for arbitration took […]
In a recently released decision, CHRO v. Echo Hose Ambulance, et al, a unanimous Supreme Court affirmed the Appellate Court’s dismissal of the CHRO’s appeal of a human rights referee’s determination that a volunteer was not an employee for purposes of Connecticut Fair Employment Practice Act, Conn, Gen. Stat. §461-60, et seq. (“CFEPA”) The issue before […]
On January 1, 2017, Connecticut will “ban the box” for private employers, as well as public employers. “Ban the box” laws prohibit employers from asking questions about criminal background on employment applications, with some exceptions. Such laws are becoming increasingly common in states and municipalities throughout the United States. The new Connecticut legislation, known as […]
