Monday, March 16th was brutal.
I kept using that word over and over in conversations with employers who are watching their entire business disappear overnight.
Brutal.
Layoffs — at a scale that I think is difficult to comprehend — are sweeping through Connecticut businesses.
Restaurants? Closed (except for takeout or delivery).
Gyms? Closed.
Movie theaters? Closed.
And all the employees out of work for now.
You can see Governor Lamont’s full executive order (7D) here.
There was SO much happening today that I’m just going to recap a few other items for employers in Connecticut to consider.
Employers should delve deeper into each of the topics that may impact them.
- Employers of 100 or more employees that are going through mass layoffs need to be aware of the WARN Act statute. That requires 60 days notice to the worker and local officials; a shorter time is allowed in circumstances like this. For more on WARN, see my prior post here.
- Employers of all sizes should be mindful that Congress is currently debating changes to FMLA to provide for additional leave. My colleagues did a recap of this new bill here.
- Employers that cannot have their employees work remotely have started asking whether they can take their employees’ temperatures. Our guidance has changed over the past week. My colleague, Peter Murphy, did a recap here.
Employers that have to layoff staff because of the government ordered shutdowns should continue to provide their employees with information on filing for unemployment benefits.
Employers may also explore whether they can keep the employees on their health care plan during a time of temporary layoff.
The next few months look to be very tough on employers and employees with each day bringing bad news. Until we can flatten the curve and get past this wave, expect more rough days ahead.
For more, my firm has started a resource page for Connecticut employers covering at least two dozen topics so far. Feel free to visit and bookmark it here.