The Connecticut Appellate Court, in a decision officially released next week, ruled that limousine drivers (“chauffeurs” if you must) are not entitled to be paid during their meal breaks.

If the case, Belgada v. Hy’s Livery Service, Inc. sounds familiar, that’s because I covered the lower court’s decision rejecting the drivers’ claims back in

It’s Wednesday afternoon and you get an email from a service that receives lawsuits on your behalf.

“Congratulations! You are the recipient of a new lawsuit!”

No, it doesn’t really say that.

Rather, it’ll basically attach a copy of the lawsuit and remind you that the clock is ticking for a response.

It might as

In January 2021, I wrote about the potential for a new wave of lawsuits that employers needed to pay attention to — lawsuits (and criminal charges) based on antitrust law.  In that post, I highlighted a little-noticed case in which the U.S. Department of Justice had indicted a Texas company for its no poaching agreements

Back in 2016, I noted that Congress had a major problem passing major legislation.  Of course, at the start of the pandemic, it passed paid COVID leave and related legislation but other than that, it’s been a LONG time since it passed anything significant.

But surprise!

Yesterday, the Senate joined the House in passing H.R.

Wage and hour class actions are nothing new in Connecticut.  Over the last few years, some employers, particularly in the restaurant field, have been blindsided by the sheer number of them. Some — to be sure — have merit to them.

But we’ve also seen class action lawsuits that attempt to push the envelope.

Take

Among the employment law questions that most people ask, I can tell you that “Are strippers independent contractors or employees?” isn’t one of them.

And yet, having posed the question, isn’t there something about it that demands an answer? After all, the employment laws we have should apply to everyone, right?

Indeed, as I’ve recounted

Before the pandemic (remember then?), you may recall a case last year that drew headlines: Chip’s Family Restaurants was having issues with a class action lawsuit filed against the small chain by allegedly improperly deducting a tip credit from server earnings thereby paying those potential class members below the minimum wage for the performance of

You may recall that back in December 2019 (doesn’t that seem like so long ago?), the General Assembly and Governor Lamont fashioned a compromise on so-called “dual duties” legislation.

The bill required the Department of Labor to revisit a 1950 regulation that has been interpreted by some as requiring time that a server spends

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,

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