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
Tag Archives: minimum wage
2013 Legislative Session: Minimum Wage, Captive Audience and an Employer’s Bill of Rights
Posted in Highlight, Legislative Developments, Wage & HourThe 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
A Look Back at Obama’s (First?) Four Years and Employment Law
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Wage & HourFinally, 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
Legislative Update: Minimum Wage Hike, Personnel Files Act and Unemployment Discrimination Bills Fail
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsThe General Assembly finished its business for 2012 last night and although there was a last minute flurry of legislation, several bills that had been tracked by many employers came up short. Senate Bill 79, which passed the Senate, would have made it illegal for employers to refuse to hire someone based on being unemployed…. Continue Reading
Interns: Assign Real Work or Menial Tasks? Neither, says The New York Times
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourBack in 2010, at the same time the U.S. Department of Labor was making a big publicity push on its interpretation of rules regarding unpaid interns, the New York Times ran piece noting how employers were skirting the law when it came to internships: The Labor Department says it is cracking down on firms that… Continue Reading
Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Interns
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & HourThe word “Interns” has turned into a dirty word for employment lawyers lately. But before you panic, it’s time to separate fact from fiction. Now, it IS true that a few years back, the United States Department of Labor signaled employers that it would start cutting down on the practice that some employers used of… Continue Reading
Legislative Update: Personnel Files, Minimum Wage, Payroll Cards, CTFMLA, Unemployment Discrimination
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Legislative DevelopmentsThe General Assembly is always full of surprises. It’s the busy season for the Connecticut legislature and a number of employment-law related proposals are still “alive”. (I use “alive” in the generic sense because the bills have merely passed committee; whether they will end up getting voted on is an entirely different question. For further updates… Continue Reading
Minimum Wage Hike Clears Committee; Prospects Unclear
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsThe Labor & Public Employee Committee on Thursday voted 8-3 in favor of a minimum wage hike that was less than originally proposed. The revised bill would raise the minimum wage by 50 cents at the start of the next two years, with future raises automatically tied to the consumer price index. But before you… Continue Reading
Reporting for Duty or Reporting Time Pay: What Is (and Is Not) Required
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceTwo weeks ago, my colleague Michael Lavelle did a post about dealing with employees who may be on call. Today, he’s back, following up on another weather-related issue — paying employees for just reporting to work (even if they are sent home), sometimes known as the "Minimum Daily Earnings Guaranteed". It was the subject of… Continue Reading
Connecticut’s Minimum Wage Now Up to $8.25 Per Hour Effective January 1, 2010
Posted in Laws and RegulationsConnecticut’s minimum wage law went up again on January 1, 2010 — this time to $8.25 per hour. It is the second of a two-part increase that was put into effect by the legislature in 2008. I’ve covered the state’s minimum wage law extensively over the summer last year as part of the "Basics" series…. Continue Reading
The Basics: Minimum Wage in Connecticut is Still $8.00/hour
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceAs the dog days of summer now seem firmly entranced over Connecticut, this week’s installment of "The Basics" focuses on minimum wages. There are lots of exceptions and rules, but the basics are fairly straightforward: Although the federal minimum wage went on on July 24, 2009 to $7.25/hour, Connecticut has its own minimum wage law…. Continue Reading
Paying Less Than Minimum Wage? DOL Allows It Under Special Circumstances
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsAs background, everyone knows that Connecticut has a minimum wage law for employment (now at $8.00 per hour, going up to $8.25 for 2010). While there are some limited exceptions to that rule (most notably for servers and bartenders who get a tip and some apprentices), it is now viewed as a societal norm that… Continue Reading
New Year, New Laws: What New Connecticut Laws Should Employers Be Aware Of
Posted in Laws and RegulationsJanuary 1st brings lots of things – resolutions, fresh starts, and, inevitably, the occasional letter with a 2008 year written in, instead of 2009. But traditionally, it also marks the effective date for a few more Connecticut laws. (October 1st is also a big date for many new laws). So what does January 1st bring… Continue Reading
U.S. Department of Labor Proposes New Wage/Hour Regulations
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourBuried deep, deep, deep in Monday’s Federal Register was a quiet announcement that the U.S. Department of Labor was proposing some new wage/hour regulations interpreting the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (download here). In the "summary" section, the DOL states that the new regulations are needed because the regulations, in some cases, are out… Continue Reading
Federal Minimum Wage Increase Today Has No Impact on Connecticut Workers
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourYou may hear about an increase in the federal minimum wage today from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. If you do, you can ignore the news in Connecticut because it will not have any effect on workers here. If a state law puts the minimum wage rate higher than the federal minimum wage, state law applies. … Continue Reading
General Assembly Overrides Veto on Connecticut Minimum Wage Law
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsThe Connecticut Senate voted late today to override the veto of the minimum wage bill that was sent to Gov. Rell last month. The vote was 25-9 in the Senate. The vote completes the override process of the minimum wage bill that I discussed here earlier today. Thus, effective January 1, 2009, the minimum wage… Continue Reading
Update: Conn. House Overrides Veto in Minimum Wage
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsOne down, one to go. The Connecticut House voted this afternoon to override Gov. Rell’s veto of the minimum wage bill. The bill now moves to the Senate this afternoon for immediate consideration. For a text of the bill under the consideration, you can view the bill here. As I’ve noted in earlier posts, if… Continue Reading
General Assembly to Vote on Override of Veto of Minimum Wage Bill
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsToday, the Connecticut General Assembly goes back for a special session today to try to override Gov. Rell’s veto of a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $8.00/hour, effective January 1, 2009. The Hartford Courant has a prediction on what will happen: "It depends on who shows up." With vacation season in full… Continue Reading
Quick Updates: Ethics Case, Minimum Wage, NASCAR lawsuit, OWBPA and “Decisional Units”
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, LitigationJust time enough for some short updates on various posts from the last few weeks. You may recall a few weeks ago that the Governor vetoed a bill which would have increased the minimum wage in Connecticut to $8/hour in January 2009. While there has been talk of a possible override session, it’s difficult to get the… Continue Reading
Governor Rell Vetoes Minimum Wage Bill; Override Possible
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsIn a bit of a surprise (and in a busy day for employment law in Connecticut), Governor Rell vetoed a bill which would have increased the minimum wage to $8/hour starting Jan. 1, 2009 (and $8.25/hour in 2010). The veto to House Bill 5105 (H.B. 5105) also effectively kills Senate Bill 55 (S.B. 55) which dealt with… Continue Reading
State Senate Passes Minimum Wage Increase; Bill Now Moves to Gov. Rell for Approval
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsThe State Senate late yesterday approved a bill that would increase the minimum wage in 2009 and 2010. The bill (H.B. 5105), had previously passed the House and now moves to Governor Rell for her signature. CT News Junkie reports that Gov. Rell has some reservations about the bill: Gov. M. Jodi Rell is still… Continue Reading
Connecticut Supreme Court: Order Denying Class Certification in Minimum Wage Case Is Not Immediately Appealable
Posted in Class Actions, Litigation, Wage & HourThe Connecticut Supreme Court, in a decision released today, ruled today that an order denying class certification is not an appealable final judgment. The case, Palmer v. Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, gives employers and other defendants in class actions, an important arrow in their quiver of defending against class action cases. In Palmer, thirty-seven waiters or waitresses employed by Friendly’s,… Continue Reading
Wage and Hour Lawsuits – Legal Services Groups Filing Overtime Claims
Posted in Litigation, Wage & HourThe latest news trend has been to report that wage & hour claims are the new "in" lawsuit filed by employment attorneys. However, the cost of bringing such a lawsuit may still be onerous for some employees. That’s where the state’s legal services organizations routinely fill the gap by offering their services free to people in… 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 +
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