It’s finally here: Paid Sick Leave. Connecticut officially became the first state in the nation to mandate this on Sunday. Depending on your perspective, it’s either a historic achievement or another sign that Connecticut is anti-business. I’ve talked about this extensively over the last six months so I’m not going to repeat the summaries here…. Continue Reading
Tag Archives: paid sick leave
A Look Back at 2011 Prediction … and a Sneak Peek at 2012
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, LitigationIt’s easy to make predictions about the future. It’s far harder to look back at them and see if you were right. Fortunately or unfortunately for me, my predictions are in print — there for a looking. So how did my prediction go for 2011? Well, in my main article, I predicted that on a… Continue Reading
More Answers (and Questions) Regarding Paid Sick Leave
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Wage & HourAre you tired hearing about Paid Sick Leave (PSL) yet? Well, be prepared for a lot more because the more we delve into the law the more we all discover little nuances that weren’t readily apparent at the start. As a result, there’s a bit of finessing going on. At last night’s CBA Labor &… Continue Reading
Municipalities Get Ready: Paid Sick Leave Applies to You Too
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourOne of the things that law school teaches you is to read the definitions of words in any new law that is passed. Why? Because a word like “employer” may be defined differently than what you would expect. That’s a hard concept for real employers to understand. After all, how can you be an “employer”… Continue Reading
The Paid Sick Leave Issue That May End Up In Court
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & HourYesterday, I discussed the carryover rule that requires employers to allow service workers to carry over up to five days of paid sick leave each year. But a loyal blog reader posed the following question to me: Suppose you are an employer that voluntarily offers 12 paid time off (PTO) days at the start of… Continue Reading
Spanish-Language Version of Paid Sick Leave Poster Released
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & HourOne of the unique features of Connecticut’s Paid Sick Leave law is the requirement that employers post information about the law in both English and Spanish. At the time the law was passed, I openly questioned how employers were to accomplish this and suggested that the Connecticut Department of Labor consider publishing such a notice… Continue Reading
Get Ready for Some Lifting on Paid Sick Leave Carryover Rules
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & HourWe continue with our series of posts (see prior posts here, here, here, and here) on the new Paid Sick Leave Guidance issued by the Connecticut Department of Labor earlier this month. Today’s post focuses on the “carryover” rules. Another issue that the Paid Sick Leave addresses is the “carryover” rules — or how much… Continue Reading
How Do You Count 680 Hours? Carefully, Says New Paid Sick Leave Guidance
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourLast week, I touched on a few aspects of the new Paid Sick Leave Guidance that was released by the Connecticut Department of Labor. (For prior posts, see here, here and here.) Today, I continue to discuss the guidance with a look at when service workers can start using accumulated paid sick leave. One of… Continue Reading
Butchers & Bakers Are Covered by Paid Sick Leave Guidance; Not Candlestick Makers
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & HourThis is the second in a series of posts on the new Paid Sick Leave Guidance from the Connecticut Department of Labor. Back in June, I discussed who is a “service worker” under the new Paid Sick Leave law. It is a detailed list that includes butchers and bakers but not candlestick makers. It’s not… Continue Reading
Not All Manufacturers Exempt Under Paid Sick Leave Guidance
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Uncategorized, Wage & HourWhen I reviewed the Paid Sick Leave Guidance released Friday by the Connecticut Department of Labor, I happened to be in Chicago for the day. And where should I pass by? But Harry Caray’s. The renowned Cubs broadcaster’s catchphrase was “Holy Cow!” And that phrase was stuck in my head for the weekend. Why? Because… Continue Reading
BREAKING: Connecticut DOL Issues Guidance and Poster on Paid Sick Leave
Posted in Featured, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & HourThe Connecticut Department of Labor has issued its long-awaited guidance this morning on the new Paid Leave Law that becomes effective on January 1, 2012. You can download the CTDOL’s guidance here. My cursory review of the guidance indicates that it answers some questions that have been floating out there — albeit in ways that… Continue Reading
Paid Sick Leave and What Employers Need to Know: A Seminar
Posted in Featured, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Social MediaEmployers in Connecticut have less than two months to get ready before the new Paid Sick Leave law goes into effect. If only that were the only new development. A few months ago, my firm held a sold-out seminar to address these new developments and much more. Because of overwhelming demand, we are putting on… 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
Three Things to Know About Connecticut’s New Paid Sick Leave Law
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterThis morning, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of some pretty smart people in the hospitality industry about Connecticut’s Paid Sick Leave law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2012. After all, with the movie Contagion as the nation’s number one movie, sickness is something on people’s minds. (I’ve previously covered… Continue Reading
More Publicity for Sick Leave Bill’s “Sleeper” Provision
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsPower is still out to big parts of the state, but here in Hartford, power is on and life continues. And so must the blog… Back in June, when the Connecticut General Assembly approved of the paid sick leave bill, I was quick to note that the retaliation provisions in the bill seemed to apply… Continue Reading
“Vaporizing” One Area of Employment Law? Hmmm.
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and RegulationsIn a post Friday, Walter Olson over at Overlaywered posed this question, “If I could press a button and instantly vaporize one sector of employment law…” (His suggestion? Age Discrimination laws.) Jon Hyman, at the Ohio Employer’s Law Blog, picked up on the question and posed it for his readers as well. Jon’s choice? The… Continue Reading
It’s Official: Paid Sick Leave & Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bills Get Governor’s Approval
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative DevelopmentsTo the surprise of absolutely no one, earlier this month Governor Malloy signed the new Paid Sick Leave and the new Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination bills. With the Governor’s approval, the paid sick leave bill now becomes effective January 1, 2012. The anti-discrimination provisions of the gender identity bill are effective October 1, 2011. For more… Continue Reading
Paid Sick Leave Bill’s Anti-Retaliation Provisions Broader Than Just “Service Workers”
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative Developments, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Wage & HourRemember how I indicated that most of the paid sick leave bill covers only “service workers”? That’s true, but there is a big exception that hasn’t been mentioned much elsewhere. Indeed, employers who have 50 or more employees should beware: The new Paid Sick Leave bill’s anti-retaliation provisions may cover all employees, not just the… Continue Reading
Paid Sick Leave Bill Says Employers Should Post Notices in English AND Spanish
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative Developments, Wage & HourEmployers, it’s time to tune up on your Spanish. Buried in the new bill on Paid Sick Leave is a section that suggests to employers in Connecticut that a posting should be written in both English and Spanish. First the context: Senate Bill 913 says that at the time of hiring, each employers should notify… Continue Reading
Paid Sick Leave: How Some Non-Exempt (Under State Law) Workers May Not Be Covered
Posted in Legislative Developments, Wage & HourAs employers in Connecticut know, state and federal laws differ when it comes to paying overtime. Some employees (like computer professionals) are exempt from overtime obligations under federal law, but not under state law. The new Paid Sick Leave bill just makes a mess of this distinction even further. How? Well, the definition of “service… Continue Reading
Who is a “Service Worker” Under the Paid Sick Leave Bill? Butchers, Bakers, Not Candlestick Makers
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Legislative Developments, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterSenate Bill 913, as amended, contains one of the longest and wordiest definitions you’ll see in employment law. What is it for? It defines who is a “service worker” and thus potentially covered if the employee is also hourly and non-exempt under federal (not state) law. (Day and temporary workers are also excluded.). According to… Continue Reading
Paid Sick Leave: The Basics Of What Employers Need to Know
Posted in Highlight, Legislative Developments, Wage & HourUPDATED: June 9, 2011 Paid Sick Leave has officially passed the Connecticut General Assembly and awaits a formal signature by Governor Malloy (who has indicated he will sign the measure). There’s a lot of little things in the bill. Here are the basics of what you need to know as an employer (assuming it is… Continue Reading
Legislative Update: Paid Sick Leave & Gender Identity Discrimination Bills Pass; Governor’s Approval Expected
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsEarly Saturday morning, the Connecticut General Assembly passed two bills that will have a significant impact on employers in Connecticut. Both bills now need to be signed by the Governor (who has indicated he will sign them). First, the Senate passed House Bill 6599, which adds “gender identity or expression” as a new protected category… Continue Reading
BREAKING: Connecticut Senate Passes Controversial Paid Sick Leave Bill
Posted in Legislative DevelopmentsThe Connecticut Senate this evening voted 18-17 to pass the Paid Sick Leave bill, S.B. 913. The bill went through an amendment today which completely replaces the previously printed bill. You can access the new (and passed) version here. I’ll have full details of the measure in a followup post, but here’s the brief rundown…. 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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