Connecticut Employment Law Blog Insight on Labor & Employment Developments for Connecticut Businesses

Category Archives: Legislative Developments

Subscribe to Legislative Developments RSS Feed

Paid Sick Leave (PSL) “Fixes” Pass State Senate; Final Approval Expected

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative Developments, Wage & Hour

Shortly after passage of the Paid Sick Leave law a few years ago, it became apparent that there were several quirks in the law that would make enforcement and compliance challenging in some places. I highlighted a few issues in a post back then. Well, the General Assembly has been working on a bill to… Continue Reading

Revisions to CHRO-Related Statutes Under Consideration Include Damages for Emotional Distress

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Highlight, Legislative Developments

Whenever someone tells you that a proposed bill “clarifies” something or “simplifies” existing law, you should view such talk with a dose of healthy skepticism. Indeed, viewing the written testimony of CHRO Executive Director Robert Brothers in support of Senate Bill 1164, you could be left with the impression that the changes being proposed to the state’s anti-discrimination… Continue Reading

Bill Targets Non-Compete Agreements But Would Also Create New Cause of Action

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Legislative Developments

The busy season for the Connecticut General Assembly is continuing with the final push for bills now underway. Another bill that has been sneaking below the radar is House Bill 6658.  The bill, entitled “Employer Use of Noncompete Agreements”, has passed the Judiciary Committee, again without being referred to the Labor & Public Employee committee.  It… Continue Reading

Three (Among Many) Problems with Proposed Free Speech Bill

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Legislative Developments

Since the publication of my post last week on House Bill 6667 on free speech in the workplace, there’s been a lot of followup press coverage.  Two that I would highlight include this Patch.com article, and this blog post by Mara Lee at the Hartford Courant.  The CBIA also highlighted the post on its website… Continue Reading

Proposed Bill Would Create Chaos for Employers and Constituionalize Common Workplace Grievances

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Featured, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments

Employers: If there is one proposed bill at the Connecticut General Assembly to be concerned about this year, it is the stealth House Bill 6667.  It could have the single biggest impact on employer/employee relations in a generation.   And that’s just for starters. If you look at the bill on the legislative website, it looks innocuous enough. … Continue Reading

Senator Murphy: Prospects “Not Too Good” for Federal Bill Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination (ENDA)

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Highlight, Legislative Developments

As many wait for the Supreme Court’s decision later this term on same-sex marriages, one issue that seems to get lost in the shuffle is the fact that there is still no federal law prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation. For employers in Connecticut, this is basically a non-issue because Connecticut… Continue Reading

What’s New at the General Assembly? Anti-Employer Bills, Says CBIA

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Legislative Developments

There’s been little press over what is going on at the Connecticut General Assembly this spring.  With no big employment law issue (other than minimum wage) dominating the headlines like Paid Sick Leave in the past, you might think that there isn’t much happening. But as the Connecticut Business and Industry Association highlighted in a… Continue Reading

Facebook Password “Privacy” Bill Is An Answer In Search of a Problem

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Legislative Developments, Social Media

The Connecticut General Assembly’s Labor & Public Employee Committee today is considering drafting a proposed bill “to prevent current or potential employers from requesting or requiring that employees or potential employees provide passwords to their personal accounts as a condition of their employment.” I won’t mince words. Proposed Senate Bill 159 is a bad idea.  It’s a solution in search of… Continue Reading

Gender Inequality Claims Make Headlines in Case and in New Study

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative Developments, Litigation, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & Hour

Over the last week, two unrelated stories caught my eye.  For employers, they are a reminder that claims of pay inequality based on gender are still something to be concerned about.  The first story is that Governor Malloy announced plans for a new study to examine “factors that contribute to the gender wage gap in Connecticut’s workforce.” … Continue Reading

2013 Legislative Session: Minimum Wage, Captive Audience and an Employer’s Bill of Rights

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Legislative Developments, Wage & Hour

The Connecticut General Assembly is back at work so it’s time to take a quick peek to see what’s percolating. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association highlighted the “captive audience” bill as bill that is resurfacing, even though the Attorney General has previously raised doubts about the constitutionality of it.  The bill would restrict communications… Continue Reading

Reading the Tea Leaves for Employment Law in 2013 (Harry Potter Edition)

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Featured, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Litigation, Social Media

In this week’s Connecticut Law Tribune, I filed my annual “forecast” of employment law for 2013. As with the weather forecasts, it is subject to change on a moment’s notice. So drink your “tea” with a grain of salt. So, last year, I brought out my trusted Magic 8-Ball to make my 2012 predictions. Looking… Continue Reading

Former Lawmaker (and Ex-Felon) Urges Connecticut To Ban Discrimination Against Felons in 2013

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Legislative Developments

At a Sentencing Commssion hearing last week, former state lawmaker Ernie Newton — who was convicted in 2006 on corruption charges — urged commission members to address hiring discrimination against ex-felons, reports CT News Junkie.  There is no indication yet that they will do so, but his comments raised some eyebrows in the press. Newton’s… Continue Reading

A Look Back at Obama’s (First?) Four Years and Employment Law

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Wage & Hour

Finally, today is Election Day.   And while the pundits tonight will all look forward to what the next four years might bring, it’s worth taking a quick peek back at Obama’s (first?) four years with a review of some of the posts from 2008-9. Before his term, there were predictions that he would be good… Continue Reading

New Laws Place Restrictions on Employers Seeking Passwords

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social Media

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak to the HR Compliance Conference in San Francisco about legal issues related to hiring.  In some ways, everything old is new again on this topic.  Issues like the Fair Credit Reporting Act, or the EEOC’s guidance on criminal background checks, have been around for years yet… Continue Reading

Five Things To Know About Paid Sick Leave, NLRB and Other New Developments

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Social Media, Wage & Hour

At yesterday’s labor & employment law seminar, we had both Heidi Lane, a Prinicipal Attorney with the Connecticut Department of Labor, and Jonathan Kreisberg, Regional Director of the NLRB’s Hartford Office, speak to attendees about the latest developments under both Connecticut and federal law. But for those who couldn’t make it, here are five notable things they discussed: 1)… Continue Reading

Quick Hits: Election Roundup, Seminar Details, Harassment, and CTDOL Improvements

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments

As the week draws to a close, it’s time for another installment of Quick Hits, where I highlight a few blog posts worth a read. As readers know, this week I’ve been posing a series of questions to the major party candidates about employment law.  Other lawyers have done the same and Jon Hyman, of… Continue Reading

Election 2012: What Debate Questions Would You Ask Rep. Paul Ryan

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments

As we continue our series this week of highlighting employment law issues for the candidates, next up is Rep. Paul Ryan.  (For previous posts and groundrules, see here, here, and here.) Your record on the Employment Non-discrimination Act is, to be blunt, muddy at best. You appear to have once voted for passage of the Act,… Continue Reading

Election 2012: What Debate Question Would You Ask Vice President Biden?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments

Next up in this week’s series of employment law-related debate questions for the candidates: Vice President Joe Biden. One of the big ideas of the administration early on was the Employee Free Choice Act. It’s an act that you publicly showed strong support for. The bill never passed and some of the ideas regarding “card check”… Continue Reading

Election 2012: What Debate Questions Would You Ask Mitt Romney?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Labor Law & NRLB, Legislative Developments

All this week, this blog (and other employment law blogs — here, here, here and here) are posting employment law-related questions for the major-party candidates for President and Vice President.  Today’s turn: Mitt Romney. (For a recap of this process — and a reminder that these questions should not be interpreted as being “for” or “against”… Continue Reading

Election 2012: Debate Questions for President Obama

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Highlight, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments

With the Presidential election just six weeks away, we have yet to see any of the major party candidates tackle employment law issues in detail.  That, of course, is not surprising. But as we head towards the debates, I talked with several other employment lawyers who run blogs and we thought we could bring some… Continue Reading

Head of Teachers’ Union Nominated as Next Department of Labor Commssioner

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Wage & Hour

Yesterday, Governor Dannel Malloy nominated Sharon Palmer, who has led the state’s chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, to be the next commssioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor. Numerous press outlets have summaries this morning including CT Mirror, CT News Junkie and The Hartford Courant.  You can read the Governor’s press release here…. Continue Reading

Data Privacy Continues to be Focus of Legislature (But What About Employers?)

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Legislative Developments

Several years ago, Connecticut passed a law that, for the first time, required employers to take special precautions to protect the personal data of their employees.  For a refresher, you can see my prior posts here and here.  Now, there is news of some tweaks to the law with some implications for employers and companies. … Continue Reading