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

Tag Archives: conn. gen. stat. 31-40s

Employees Who Smoke (Part II) – The Exception for Health Insurance Plans

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

So yesterday, I made a convincing case that employees who smoke outside the workplace can’t be treated differently than your non-smokers.  But what about your health insurance plans? Doesn’t the state law prohibit your plan from imposing higher premium costs on those smokers? Well on first glance it appears yes.  The state law would seem to… Continue Reading

Refusing to Hire People Who Smoke: The Connecticut Ban

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

When I was away last week, one of the headlines from my alma mater caught my attention.  The University of Pennsylvania Health System announced that effective July 1st, they will refuse to hire anyone who smokes or uses tobacco. No doubt some of you are either lauding this step, or shaking your head in disgust. Could an… Continue Reading

Not So Fast: Connecticut Employers Have Restrictions Regulating Smoking Outside the Workplace

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & Hour

There’s been a lot of talk of late of a "trend" beginning where employers are taking stock of employees health habits, particularly smoking.  Some employers are even considering a "smoke screen", per this story and this followup as well.   Some other background on employers and smoking policies can be found here, and here. While employers have… Continue Reading