With the end of the year finally here, I know I could do yet another post on the OSHA vax-or-test standard given that the Supreme Court on Wednesday announced expedited oral arguments on the legality of that rule and the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. That’s now scheduled for January 7, 2022.
But really, with Omicron putting a dent in our collective holidays plans as well as plans to return to the office (I’ve gotten way too excited about getting deliveries of at-home COVID tests in the mail), I thought I would use this final post of 2021 to be a bit more playful. (Caveat: If there IS still more breaking news, don’t worry, I’ll have an extra bonus post.)
In honor of the In/Out lists that many publications do around this time of year, I thought I would do my own, with a focus on Connecticut employment law. Some are predictions, some are not. Some are funny and some are stark truths.
| Out | In |
| 2021 | 2020 part II |
| The Great Resignation | The Great Hiring |
| Unpaid Leave | Paid Leave |
| Delta | Omicron |
| Return to Work Plans | Sometime |
| Bans on salary history | Requirements to disclose wage ranges |
| Working on vacation | Unplugged vacations |
| Zoom | Microsoft Teams |
| Sweatpants | Dressing up for work just because |
| CTFMLA | Expanded CTFMLA |
| Video chats | Office pop-in conversations |
| Misclassification lawsuits | Unionizing efforts |
| Plain PTO | PTO for voting in elections |
| “Equal” work | “Comparable” work |
| Fully vaxxed | Fully vaxxed and boosted |
| Working from home is hard | Working at work is hard |
| More pay equity laws | More restrictions on non-compete agreements |
| Workplace Tik Tok | Lawyer Tik Tok |
| $13/hour minimum wage | $14/hour minimum wage (July 1!) |
| Electronic monitoring of remote work | Lawsuits related to remote work |
| Vax-or-test mandate | Multiverse of vaccine mandates |
| BYOD | Bring all your devices back to the office |
| Work through lunch | Office cafeteria lunch |
| Five day workweeks | Four day workweeks |
| Drug-free workplaces | Cannabis workplace parties |
| The Connecticut Employment Law Blog on its own | The Connecticut Employment Law Blog with Shipman & Goodwin support |
You may have noticed this last item. Don’t worry: After 14 years, I’m not really going anywhere nor is this blog. But you will notice a few changes coming soon including a fresh new redesign, some additional content, and some much-appreciated professional support from my firm’s marketing department. I’ll still be writing and you can still expect the same timely and relevant content that I’ve always (or nearly always) posted. I’m very excited about the modest changes and I know you will be too. Watch for it in January.
Until then, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and have a safe and wonderful New Year.