Connecticut employers have just a few months to prepare for sweeping new workplace laws taking effect this fall.
In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, host Dan Schwartz is joined by Shipman attorney Sarah Niemiroski to break down the most significant employment law changes from the 2026 Connecticut legislative session. Together, they discuss
What Changed. On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to rescind two agency policy documents that had been in place for roughly 40 years: the Guidelines on Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII (29 C.F.R. Part 1608) and Compliance Manual Section 607 – Affirmative Action. Together, these documents provided
Employers across the country are increasingly confronting a frustrating trend: a stark disconnect between what candidates promise on paper and what they deliver at work. In a competitive labor market, more job applicants appear to be inflating their skills, padding their years of experience, and claiming proficiencies they do not actually possess. The pattern goes
If your company uses arbitration to resolve employment disputes in Connecticut (and many do), a new law signed by Governor Lamont on June 4, 2026, may have just changed who can serve as your arbitrator.
Public Act 26-92 (Substitute Senate Bill No. 475), “An Act Concerning Judicial Branch Operations,” is a sweeping judicial administration bill.
On May 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) released four new opinion letters addressing difficult FLSA questions from employers and employees. These are the agency’s official interpretation of the law, and employers who follow them get a legal safe harbor. Here’s what you need to know.
Can Your Exempt Employees
On May 19, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court unanimously held in Sabatini v. Knouse, SJC-13781, that individuals in academic settings can be held personally liable for sexual harassment under M.G. L. c. 214, § 1C. Until this decision, professors and advisors accused of sexual harassment could argue that the statute permitted suits only
If your organization uses AI or automated tools to screen, rank, or evaluate job applicants, recent developments from the Northern District of California and the Connecticut legislature deserve your attention. Out of California, Mobley v. Workday, Inc, No. 23-CV-00770-RFL, is now in its third year of litigation and continues to produce significant rulings, grappling with
On April 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor released a proposed rule that could reshape how joint employment is determined under federal wage and hour law – and beyond. The proposed rule, titled “Joint Employer Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection
Late Friday, the General Assembly gave final approval SB 5, now rebranded as the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act. It is a wide-ranging “online safety” and artificial intelligence (AI) bill with several provisions that directly affect hiring and employers. Governor Lamont has confirmed he plans to sign it. The bill includes staggered
As the 2026 legislative session comes to a close, the Connecticut General Assembly has passed a sweeping bill impacting many aspects of the employer-employee relationship for private and public sectors alike. From wage transparency and training repayment agreements to lactation accommodations, an “Act Concerning Workforce Development and Working Conditions in Connecticut” –