The dust is still settling from the mad dash that is the end of the Connecticut General Assembly session. I’ll have more in the upcoming days as events warrant, but here’s a quick look at a few items that I’ve been tracking in recent weeks. A bill (HB 6658) restricting the use of non-compete agreements passed… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: chro
BREAKING: CHRO Bill Revised Once More; Compromise Reached and Passage Now Expected
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Legislative DevelopmentsA new revised bill (in the form of an amendment) to amend the state discrimination statutes and amend the CHRO procedures has been posted on the Connecticut General Assembly’s site this afternoon. The amendment (8532) can be found in the information for S.B. 1164 A review of the language shows a few changes, including the… Continue Reading
Legislative Update: Minimum Wage and Updated CHRO Bill
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Legislative Developments, Wage & HourTwo quick updates to items I’ve covered before. Yesterday, the state Senate approved of an increase to minimum wage by 75 cents, over two years. The bill would raise the minimum wage to $8.70 on January 1, 2014 and $9.00 an hour the following year. The Governor has pledged to sign the bill but it… Continue Reading
Revisions to CHRO-Related Statutes Under Consideration Include Damages for Emotional Distress
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Highlight, Legislative DevelopmentsWhenever 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
Employer Alleges “Inherently Conflicted and Irreparably Unfair Proceedings” at CHRO; Seeks Injunction
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, LitigationA new lawsuit filed last Thursday in Connecticut state court by an employer alleges that the employer’s due process rights are being violated by “inherently conflicted and irreparably unfair proceedings” at the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) — the state agency responsible for investigating and enforcing the state’s anti-discrimination laws. In the lawsuit, NERAC v. Krich,… Continue Reading
Shelton Challenges CHRO’s Award of Emotional Distress Damages and Attorneys Fees
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Highlight, LitigationOver the years, I’ve openly questioned whether the CHRO has been improperly awarding emotional distress damages and attorneys fees in employment discrimination claims. Indeed, back in February 2009, I noted “Nearly 15 years ago, the Connecticut Supreme Court came out with a pair of decisions that seemed to put to rest the question of whether the CHRO… Continue Reading
Beyond the Acronyms of CTFMLA, CHRO, and PSL, Lots of Substance Discussed at CBA Annual Meeting
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourFollowing up on her post last week recapping part of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Annual Meeting on labor laws, Guest Poster Rita Trivedi is back with highlights from administrative law and employment law portions of the presentation. Again, my sincere thanks to her for this insightful post. I hope you all find it as interesting… Continue Reading
Computer Problems Continue to Plague CHRO
Posted in CHRO & EEOCOver the last year or so, I have been hearing on and off about problems that the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) has been having with its computer system. Want statistics about how many cases are open or closed? Good luck, I’ve been told. In fact, the detailed statistics that the CHRO… Continue Reading
Appellate Court Releases Trio of Important Employment Law Cases
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Litigation, UncategorizedThe Connecticut Appellate Court released three significant employment law decisions on Monday — one of the busiest days in recent memory for the court. For employers, the cases are a mixed bag but do provide some useful practice pointers. City Sheriff Was Not an “Employee” Entitled to Statutory Protection In Young v. Bridgeport, the Court ruled that… Continue Reading
When is a Mandatory Deadline Less Than Mandatory? At the CHRO
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Highlight, Laws and RegulationsRecently, the CHRO provided an update on the status of cases at the commission. In a comment to the blog, Charles Krich reported “the ratio of cases closed to cases filed is a bit over 90% during the July 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012 period (3/4 of this fiscal year). In FY 11 the… Continue Reading
What’s New at the CHRO?
Posted in CHRO & EEOCIs more change on the way to the CHRO? This week, the Connecticut Law Tribune reported on some significant legislative proposals that continue to be floated. One of them would take the agency and move it to the Judicial Branch. Previous proposals would consolidate the agency with other ones but keep much of the same… Continue Reading
CHRO Posts Public Hearing Schedule; Cases Moving Forward
Posted in CHRO & EEOCAs a further sign that things are moving more back to normal (whatever normal is these days), the CHRO has released the public hearings schedule for matters before the agency. You can view the schedule here. Most of the calendar consists of status conferences, but if you’ve had a case that has been pending at… Continue Reading
CHRO Proposes New Equal Employment Opportunity Plan Regulations & Hearing
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Laws and RegulationsThe Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) has released proposed new regulations that would require state agencies and the like to create an Equal Employment Opportunity Plan. These regulations would not apply to private employers so many of you can dispense with the worrying. The proposed regulations will replace the current ones. The CHRO… Continue Reading
CHRO Attorney Agrees Emphasis at Agency “Has Shifted From MAR to Mediation”
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Legislative DevelopmentsEarlier this week, I wrote about the perception among some that the CHRO has been retaining more cases for investigation by letting more cases through the Merit Assessment Review. These cases that used to be dismissed — mainly “frivolous” ones as I’ve collectively termed them — mean more headaches for employers who have to spend… Continue Reading
Are Any Cases Getting Thrown Out as “Frivolous” at the CHRO Anymore?
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Laws and Regulations, LitigationAs I’ve noted before, the CHRO procedures were changed effective October 1, 2011. One question that we had at the time was whether the CHRO would be retaining more discrimination claims by employees for investigation — getting past the Merit Assessment Review stage. Previously, employers have had at least a little luck getting plainly… Continue Reading
Numbers Show That Sexual Harassment Claims on the Decline
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & HarassmentDid he or didn’t he? That’s what political pundits and others have been debating the last few weeks regarding presidential candidate Herman Cain. But a more interesting question is whether claims of sexual harassment are on the rise or not. Indeed, lost in the public discourse is a fact that isn’t talked about a lot:… Continue Reading
New Procedures for CHRO – A Powerpoint (Program Recap – Part III)
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Laws and RegulationsContinuing my series of posts on the public program produced by the CHRO on new Public Act 11-237 (for prior posts go here and here), the remainder of the program focused on the changes to the CHRO procedures including a new early mediation option. Various legal staff members provided the details on the new act… Continue Reading
The Whole New World of the CHRO in a Powerpoint (Program Recap – Part II)
Posted in CHRO & EEOCYesterday, I recapped part of the CHRO program on the new Public Act 11-237 which revises the procedures for processing and investigating complaints. Next up was CHRO Principal Attorney Charles Krich. (Careful blog readers may note that he comments on the blog from time to time.) First off, Charlie gets kudos from me just for… Continue Reading
CHRO’s Executive Director: We’ll Do It Faster (Program Recap – Part I)
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Highlight, Laws and RegulationsAs I’ve saying for a few weeks now, I was asked to be part of a panel discussion sponsored by the CHRO today on the impact and implications of Public Act 11-237 on the practice before the agency. There were several powerpoints used and there was lots discussed. I will share various points in some… Continue Reading
CHRO and CTDOL Reach Out to Businesses
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourWell, you have to give the state some credit for trying. As I mentioned yesterday, I’ll be speaking today at a program run by the CHRO about the new law the changes the CHRO’s procedures. It appears to be part of a concerted effort by various agencies to reach out to businesses in the state… Continue Reading
Interested in the CHRO’s New Procedures? Thursday’s the Day
Posted in CHRO & EEOCOn Thursday morning, October 20th, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities is having an informational session on Public Act 11-237 — the new law that changes the procedures before the CHRO. The session will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Old Judiciary Room at the State Capitol. It’s… Continue Reading
Audit Highlights Significant Issues with CHRO
Posted in CHRO & EEOCA new state auditor’s report released this month shows that the CHRO continues to struggle with compliance with statutory timeframes. The report — which can be downloaded here — shows that from 2007-2009, 56 percent of the cases exceeded the statutory maximum of 370 days. As the report notes, “the longer it takes to… Continue Reading
What’s New With the CHRO? Nothing…and Everything
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsThe CHRO — the state agency responsible for investigating discrimination complaints in Connecticut — is going to a time of profound change. But it is also going through a period of stagnation. Where and when things will settle down remains a good question. Why is it stagnating? Well, the agency has been without Human Rights… Continue Reading
Governor Proposes Closing CHRO’s Waterbury Office
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Legislative DevelopmentsUPDATED: The cuts to the CHRO keep coming. Governor Malloy this morning released his plan to reduce the size of government — should a deal with the state labor unions not be struck. The plan calls for the elimination of the CHRO’s Waterbury Office (page 35) and the elimination of other staff positions. All told,… Continue Reading
About Daniel Schwartz
Trusted advisor. Experienced employment law attorney. Bar leader. Award-winning author. Noted Speaker. "Legal Rebel". All can be said to be apt descriptions of Daniel Schwartz, a member of Pullman & Comley. More +
Follow Me on Twitter
Join the Discussion on Facebook
Subscribe to this blog via RSS
View My Linkedin Profile