In a decision that will be officially released next week, the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that a year-end bonus — the amount of which is discretionary — does not constitute "wages" under Connecticut wage & hour laws.
The decision, Ziotas v. The Reardon Law Firm (download here), reverses an appellate court decision to
In a decision that will interest those that practice in Workers Compensation and with the U.S. Postal Service (and perhaps no one else), the Connecticut Supreme Court yesterday ruled that U.S. Postal Service is not an employer within the scope of workers compensation laws in Connecticut.
The decision in Lopa v. Brinker Int’l is an
Last month, I talked about how the Connecticut Supreme Court would start having all seven justices decide cases, instead of just five. The move will reduce the number of cases being reconsidered and lead to more consistent results. A case this morning shows why that move is the right one..jpg)
First, the background: Earlier this
The Connecticut Supreme Court late yesterday announced a sweeping change to its policy on hearing cases. Beginning next week, the Court will hear arguments and decide cases on an "en banc" basis — meaning that all seven members of the court (absent a disqualification or recusal) will now decide the cases.
Previously, civil cases, such
Blog readers may remember my philosophy on Connecticut Supreme Court cases on employment discrimination — they take on perhaps even more significance than they might.jpg)
otherwise deserve because they happen so infrequently.
But even that philosophy has its limits as a case decided today shows. For most employers in Connecticut, this is one case that you can probably just
Here’s a warning: If you don’t get involved with labor unions or collective bargaining agreements, you might as well skip over this next post because things don’t get much more technical (or mundane, depending on your perspective) than the following case discussion.
In a divided 3-2 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court held that the collective
Goin’ to the chapel and we’re Gonna get married
—– "The Chapel of Love", by the Dixie Cups
Today (November 12th) is the day that many lesbian and gay couples will indeed be going to the chapel (or town clerk’s offices, or other places); it’s the day that they can get officially married.
Have you ever wondered about the fluctuating workweek method for calculating the regular hourly rate or the overtime premium rate for employees who are paid a weekly salary? Most have probably not. But if you are one of the few employers who do use it, have we got a Connecticut Supreme Court case for you. 
In
Suppose you, as an employer, have union-backed employees. The union files a grievance on behalf of three employees alleging that they did not receive "premium" pay on three holidays. Because the dipsute cannot be resolved, the matter is sent to arbitration.
For some employers, defining the issue to be sent to arbitration may not seem
For the second time in a month, the Connecticut Supreme Court overturned a sizable verdict to an injured worker. And for the second time, the Court, in r
uling on a contractor liability case, re-emphasized that workers compensation laws will act as a bar to many such claims against general contractors.
The case, Archambault