As I’ve previously talked about, two new federal laws protecting pregnant workers and nursing employees are now in effect (with the protections for pregnant workers taking effect on June 27, 2023).

I want to use this post to talk about: the implications for employers in states like Connecticut that already have protections under state law

As I continue a deeper dive into new Connecticut employment laws, Public Act 21-27 adds three new parameters for the existing requirement that an employer provide a lactation room or other location in the workplace for a mother to express her milk.

Previously, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-40w only required that such room or location

With all the legislative developments in Connecticut over the last year or so, it’s tough to keep track of all of the changes that your company needs to consider to update your employee handbook and employment policies.

Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the changes to consider with a link to more information on each of them.

1) For your EEO policies, be sure to add “gender identity” as a protected category.   You may also want to consider adding language that your company will not discriminate based on “any other protected category under state or federal law” to protect you.
Continue Reading The Seven Updates To Consider to Your Employee Handbook

Suppose you, as a hiring manager, have a discussion with one of your current employees about a job opening within the company at another location. In the course of that discussion, you indicate that you would expect that employee to work in that position for two years before moving on to other possible opportunities. 

After that conversation, you put