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
Many times, clients and acquaintances call looking for the "basics" of various materials. Although I’m happy to oblige, some of the "basics" materials are already out there on the Internet. In fact, the government typically has a good summaries of various laws prepared for everyday use. While these documents should not be relied upon entirely, they provide
U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa Bryant is having a busy week. Today, she released a decision certifying a FLSA class action against Smith & Hawken based on an alleged failure to pay overtime.
In Holbrook v. Smith & Hawken, Ltd., the Plaintiff, a former assistant store manager (ASM) in the Glastonbury, Connecticut store, claimed
For employment lawyers and HR professionals, it’s "old" news that overtime lawsuits are a major concern. Business Week picks up on that trend in next week’s Cover Story entitled: "Wage Wars: Does your Boss Owe You Overtime".
According to the article:
No one tracks precise figures, but lawyers on both sides estimate that over