Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Garcetti v. Ceballos that an employee’s speech pursuant to the employee’s official job duties was not protected by the First Amendment, employers have attempted to use that case as a shield against free speech lawsuits by employees. But a decision by a federal court in Connecticut late… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: workplace
Super Bowl Office Pools in Connecticut – What Box Are You In?
Posted in Featured, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and RegulationsIt doesn’t get much better than this for Connecticut residents. Giants vs. Patriots for the Super Bowl. In a state where the loyalties are divided, a Super Bowl rematch from four years ago is nirvana. And with such interest and enthusiasm, friendly wagering among friends will no doubt follow. But what happens when those people… Continue Reading
Will General Assembly Consider Repeal of Workplace Smokers’ Rights Law?
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative DevelopmentsLet’s say you’re an employer in Connecticut. And you want to keep your health insurance costs down and promote a “healthy workplace”. After all, its a new year and a new year is built for resolutions like quitting smoking. No less than The New York Times did an article a few weeks ago about how… Continue Reading
A Guide to Breastfeeding in the Workplace
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterIf you’ve been with this blog since it’s inception, you probably recall a few posts here, here, and here that I did early on about what employers needed to know about the breastfeeding in the workplace laws. Now, the CHRO in conjunction with the Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Labor, and the Connecticut Breastfeeding coalition,… Continue Reading
Followup from Presentation on Goofs & Gaffes in Workplace
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaToday, I had the opportunity to speak at a seminar on Goofs and Gaffes in Social Media at the Social Media Summit sponsored by the Hartford Business Journal. In my section, I focused on the importance of developing a social media policy. I’ve talked about it before on the blog, but there are a few… Continue Reading
FAQ on Applying Performance Standards to Employees with Disabilities
Posted in CHRO & EEOC, Discrimination & Harassment, Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource CenterAt the core of every employment relationship is the expectation that the employee will perform the job satisfactorily. But what happens to those performance expectations when an employee has a disability? As the federal government has acknowledged, The Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits “employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities, generally do[es] not impinge… Continue Reading
Get Your New NLRB Posting From…The NLRB
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and RegulationsEarlier this month, I told you that effective November 14th, the NLRB is requiring yet another posting for your workplace. The posting will, in some ways, look familiar to employers that have had unions; similar postings may go up around elections or other union-related issues. But this new poster is different in some ways because… Continue Reading
NLRB Shifts Workplace Landscape, As Expected; New Posters Required Soon
Posted in Labor Law & NRLB, Laws and RegulationsAs I mentioned last week (when in Connecticut, we were focused on Irene), the NLRB has been busy in August issuing new rules and new rulings. Some people are expressing surprise at the shift seen in these rules and disgust that prior NLRB rules are effectively being overturned. But none of this should be surprising… Continue Reading
Workplace Resources for Hurricane Irene
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) ComplianceThe news this morning for Connecticut is grim. Hurricane Irene is heading straight for us. It is shaping up to be the worst storm the state has faced since Hurricane Gloria back in 1985. I’m old enough to remember Gloria. And it wasn’t pretty. Even areas around Hartford (where I was at the time) were… Continue Reading
New Book Published: Think Before You Click
Posted in Highlight, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social MediaDespite authoring this blog, I must confess that I always thought it would be neat if I could author a book. I’m pleased to announce that I can check one thing off my bucket list, at least in part. I can now announce the publication (finally) of ” Think Before You Click: Strategies for Managing… Continue Reading
Technology, The Workplace and Bin Laden
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaOn Friday, I had the opportunity to speak at the ABA National Symposium on Technology in Labor & Employment Law in New York. In the presentation, I talked about the importance of social media tools like Twitter is having in the workplace and legal profession. I noted how I have used Twitter to get my… Continue Reading
Upcoming Presentations: Technology and the Workplace Is THE Hot Topic
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceThere’s no doubt that over the last couple of years, technology has been a huge driver of changes in the workplace. We’re now beginning to see lots of presentations and seminars discussing those changes and the interplay that such changes is having on the law. Here are some of the upcoming conferences and meetings I’ll… Continue Reading
Smoke & Mirrors – Beware of the “Newest Trend” on Smoker-Free Workplaces in Connecticut
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and RegulationsThe New York Times loves spotting trends. Here’s the latest: Workplaces are moving from smoke-free to "smoker-free" places, particularly in the health care arena. I hate to break it to The New York Times, but this is far from new. Indeed, nearly three years ago, I blogged about it, noting "there’s been a lot of… Continue Reading
Time to Modernize Workplace Laws: What Aspects Can Be Updated?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceLet’s go back to 1935. You remember that time, right? Well, in 1935, Babe Ruth retired from baseball. A gallon of gas cost 10 cents. Igor Sikorsky was still working on developing the helicopter in Connecticut. And we were still 10 years away from even ideas like Dick Tracy’s Two-Way Wrist Radio. It was also… Continue Reading
Being a Real “Undercover Boss” In Connecticut
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceLast night, I caught a glimpse of CBS’ hit show "Undercover Boss". The premise of the reality show is simple: A CEO goes "undercover" in the workplace to see what’s "really" happening. In last night’s episode, the CEO of Frontier Airlines went behind the scenes to, among other things, remove human waste from airplane bathrooms. Putting… Continue Reading
Workplace Violence: Are There Really Any “Lessons” to be Learned From Evil?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceFor those living in Connecticut, the Connecticut Lottery shootings of over a decade ago are still a vivid reminder of how quickly a tragedy can visit a workplace. On the 10th anniversary of that horrible day, I wrote a piece about how that incident really awakened Connecticut employers to the need to think about workplace… Continue Reading
When Everyone Has Their Own Smart Phone, What Does That Mean for the “Workplace”?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceYesterday, I had the opportunity to speak to a large group at the Connecticut Community Providers Association in Rocky Hill about social media and compliance issues. The Connecticut Community Providers Association represents organizations that provide services and supports for children and adults with disabilities and significant challenges including people with substance use disorders, mental illness,… Continue Reading
The World Cup in the Workplace: Opportunities and Distractions
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceFor Americans, I want you to envision an event that is larger than three Super Bowls. Then you’ll begin to grasp how big the World Cup is. In past years, employers in the United States have escaped much of what the rest of the world has had to deal with – a month long event… Continue Reading
Cloud Computing and Employers: The Sky’s The Limit
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceIn Monday’s New York Times, there’s a lengthy piece about how companies in the United States are slowly joining cloud computing. The concerns about the use of cloud computing are not new, but companies are still grappling with how to address those concerns: Now cloud providers are trying to bring these types of flexible services… Continue Reading
New Health Care Bill Adds Federal Rights Regarding Lactation / Breast Pumping in Workplace; Conn. Law Unchanged
Posted in Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, Wage & HourUPDATED Credit Molly DiBianca at Delaware Employment Law Blog and Fitzpatrick on Employment Law for highlighting a little-known provision that was passed in the health care law. As summarized by Molly: Section 4207, titled, Reasonable Break Time for Nursing Mothers amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Because it is born to the FLSA, its… Continue Reading
Social Media Guidelines and Policies: Do Your Employees Know the Ground Rules Too?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaEarly on when writing the blog, I came across an issue that was so exciting to write about that I spent an evening crafting it up. It had links, pictures, and was well-sourced. But then I discovered that the issue involved a client of the law firm. Uh-oh. It was then that I decided it… Continue Reading
The Swine (H1N1) Flu & The Workplace – An Update on What Employers Need to Know Now
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceWith the swine (H1N1) flu vaccine production running slower than anticipated, the hope that workplaces would avoid the full effects of a pandemic is slowly diminishing. Interesting, Connecticut is one of just 9 states that are not reporting a widespread swine flu outbreak (perhaps because the first wave hit the state fairly hard). … Continue Reading
Quick Hits: EFCA Update; Racial Harassment, Strategic Economic Planning Document,, Non-Compete Agreements, New ADA Regulations
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Legislative Developments, LitigationIt’s been a busy week. The ABA Journal’s Legal Rebels project stopped by for a visit yesterday. We talked about the blog and how attorneys and clients can really take advantage of technology. (We also talked about bar association activities; my public thanks to all the people on the various task forces and committees as… Continue Reading
Watching the Tropics (and Danny): Is Your Workplace Ready for a Hurricane?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceTropical Storm Danny (no relation) formed in the Atlantic Ocean late this morning. It’s still days away from a potential impact on the East Coast but Connecticut IS within the forecasted track’s "cone". Whether it strengthens to a hurricane and hits Connecticut, or meanders harmlessly into the Atlantic Ocean is for the weather forecasters to… 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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