As 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
When new laws get passed, the complications that arise from the passage aren’t immediately clear. But a look at Connecticut’s new family violence leave provisions (effective October 1, 2010) demonstrates how some of those complications are now making themselves apparent.
As you may recall, the new Family Violence Victim leave law permits employees to take
Earlier today, the Second Circuit vacated a lower federal court decision that had dismissed a class action lawsuit by 2500 pharmaceutical representatives who claimed that they were improperly classified as exempt from overtime. The decision paves the way for the class action to continue, and sets the stage for potentially other class actions against other
While I’m out on vacation for a bit, I thought I’d have one of my colleagues share a post on a recent case he’s focused on.
Mick Lavelle is no stranger to employment law issues, having successfully litigated the case of Bridgeport Hospital v. CHRO — an important Connecticut Supreme Court case which curtailed the
Connecticut has a proud history of farms. Many, like Lyman Orchards, have been passed down for many generations. (And if you’ve never visited Lyman Orchards, don’t miss out on their Corn Maze and apple orchards for the next several weeks. I visited it recently and highly recommend stopping by.)
For many of these farms
Last month, I discussed the topic of furloughs, which have become an attractive option to employers in lieu of layoffs.
Recently, the United States Department of Labor issued a "fact sheet" that provided additional guidance for employers to some frequently asked questions on the topic.
As the Employer Law Report said, "While the fact sheet
One of the latest fads in employment law has become a peculiar side effect of this recession — the increase in the us
e of mandatory furloughs.
What are they? Well, in simple terms, they are orders from an employer to an employee that they take a day (or multiple days) off without pay. In
As Tropical Storm Fay continues to pound Florida this week, I was recently reminded that it’s been 
23 years since Connecticut suffered a direct hit from a Hurricane — the infamous Hurricane Gloria.
No worries then for Connecticut, right? Wrong. Connecticut has been hit by several tropical storms since then — just like Fay —
This week, I’ve highlighted some new state laws that affect the employment law arena. This next one (Public Act 08-156) creates a new joint commission and new advisory board in Connecticut to deal with the issue of employee misclassification.
For employers, this new structure means that it is more likely that enforcement of misclassification laws (in
As I posted yesterday, the Connecticut General Assembly is back in session. The Labor & Public Employees Committee is busy holding hearings this week on various bills now pending before the General Assembly.
One batch of bills is up for consideration this afternoon. A second batch 
is up for a hearing this Thursday