Today I had the opportunity to talk with a old friend in Spain via FaceTime. We hadn’t talked in months, but I’m sure like a lot of you, this pandemic has a way of bringing us together.
The same concerns that we have in Connecticut and the same issues we face are being addressed around
Without any fanfare, the Connecticut Department of Labor has recently updated their separation packets, that include the so-called “Pink Slips”.
Employers must start using this packet immediately on a going-forward basis.
Previously, there was a category of “layoff” but the new form has eliminated that checkbox, and replaced it with “leave of absence”. This
As I was saying about some days… Wednesday merits TWO posts.
To paraphrase a popular quote: There are years when nothing happens and there are days (and weeks) when years happen.
The nonstop barrage of news, orders, and other materials continues making updating a blog on the subject feel hopelessly out of date the moment you click “Publish”.
So rather than any lofty posts this
Late on Friday, March 13, 2020, the Connecticut Department of Labor issued new FAQ for employees and employers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of this may be repetitive of what I and others have posted before, but I thought it would be helpful to provide both a link to the materials but also some
In the last few months, I’ve had some inquiries from employers asking about resources for layoffs.
Yawn.
Everyone remembers the layoffs of the recession, right?
Actually no, as it turns out.
In the ten years since the last great round of layoffs, there is a big group of new managers, directors, human resource personnel, lawyers
You’ve agonized over firing an employee. You hired her over a year ago and it just isn’t working out. The employee is kind, conscientious and punctual, but just doesn’t have the skills needed for the particular position.
But you’ve made up your mind. You’re firing her at a meeting this afternoon.
In that meeting, the
Today is the last day of the Connecticut General Assembly regular session. So it’s a good time to take a look at some of the bills pending or passed. Strangely, things seem pretty quiet on the employment law front. But after the dust settles, I’ll have another update. Here is where we stand as of
I’m back with news of a relatively big decision today from the Connecticut Supreme Court.
In the decision, the Court clarified an important question that the Connecticut Department of Labor had been pushing hard. It will be welcome news for businesses in the state.
The issue was this: If an independent contractor (and his or
You’ve no doubt heard lots about how the U.S. Department of Labor is cracking down on independent contractors. I’ve recapped it before and my former colleague, Jonathan Orleans, has a new post regarding Uber & electricians.
But in my view, there is a larger, more important battle now being fought in Connecticut and you may not be aware of it. I touched on it briefly in a post in July but it’s worth digging a little deeper. Disappointingly, I have not seen anything written about this in the press (legal or mainstream).
A case recently transferred to the Connecticut Supreme Court docket threatens to cause lots of havoc to company usage of independent contractors in Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Labor has taken an aggressive stance in the case which is leading to this big battle.
The case is Standard Oil of Connecticut v. Administrator, Unemployment Compensation Act and is awaiting oral argument. You can download the state’s brief here and the employer’s brief here. The employer’s reply brief is also here.
The employer (Standard Oil) argues in the case that it uses contractors (called “installers/technicians”) to install heating oil and alarm systems and repair and service heating systems at times of peak demand. The state reclassified the installers/technicians as employees and assessed taxes and interest. At issue is the application of the ABC Test which is used in Connecticut to determine if these people are employees or independent contractors.
As explained by the CTDOL:
The ABC Test applies three factors (A, B, and C) for determining a worker’s employment status. To be considered an “independent contractor,” an individual must meet all three of the following factors:
A. The individual must be free from direction and control (work independently) in connection with the performance of the service, both under his or her contract of hire and in fact;
B. The individual’s service must be performed either outside the usual course of business of the employer or outside all the employer’s places of business; and
C. The individual must be customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business of the same nature as the service performed
In the Standard Oil case, the employer is challenging the findings on various elements of this test. One of them – Part B , the “places of business” — is potentially far-reaching, according to the briefs filed in the case. The issue is whether the customers’ homes are “places of business”; if they are, then the consultant cannot be said to be performing services “outside” the employer’s places of business. The employer argued that viewing customers’ homes as places of business “does nothing to further the Act’s purpose and its practical implications are damning to Connecticut industry….”
Indeed, the employer argues that “it will be impossible for [the employer]-or any Connecticut business–to ever utilize the services of an independent contractor.”Continue Reading The Real Battle over Independent Contractors and the ABC Test In Connecticut