Last Friday, the National Labor Relations Board (“the Board”) held that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center did not violate the National Labor Relations Act (“the Act”) when it kicked union organizers out of its cafeteria who had been grabbing lunch and talking union business with a few workers. In doing so, the Board overturned
In its 2019 session, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a number of new laws affecting employers, many of which will become effective October 1, 2019. To assist employers in navigating the legislative changes, we invite you to join labor and employment law attorneys Henry Zaccardi and Ashley Marshall for this complimentary CLE webinar summarizing
Over the last week, the General Assembly passed two bills (Senate Bill 3 and 1111) that, when taken together, provide a series of reforms that will impact every Connecticut employer in one way or another. These bills are expected to be signed by Governor Lamont shortly and thus, these requirements will likely go into effect
On May 28, 2019, the New York City Council held a public hearing regarding proposed amendments to New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (“ESSTA”) which would require employers to provide eligible employees with “personal time.” The bill also would provide more protections for employees, including protections against retaliation and the addition of monetary penalties for employer violations.
The most sweeping change in the new ESSTA bill would be the requirement that all employers with five or more employees, and all employers of one or more domestic workers, would be required provide 1 hour of paid personal time for every 30 hours worked. Employers not meeting this threshold still have to provide unpaid “personal time.” The maximum accrual per year would be 80 hours, and employees would be permitted to carryover up to 80 hours to the next calendar year. However, employers could prohibit the use of more than 80 hours of personal time in a calendar year.
The expanded form of the ESSTA also states that “personal time” may be used for absence from work for any reason, and that employees are not required to provide documentation supporting their use of personal time. For employers that already provide paid vacation or other paid time off as a benefit, the proposed bill does not require those employers to provide an additional 80 hours above and beyond the benefit already provided. However, the paid time off provided must be allowed for the same purposes as “personal time” is allowed under the ESSTA.
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Join Shipman & Goodwin employment attorneys Zach Hummel and Keegan Drenosky for this complimentary CLE webinar outlining the steps employers should take to conduct legally sound workplace investigations arising from complaints involving discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, bullying, violence, whistleblowing, retaliation, fraud and other activities. The value of an effective workplace investigation can’t be overstated. A
The Connecticut Appellate Court ruled this week that an employee’s request for extended intermittent leave is not a “reasonable” accommodation under the state’s anti-discrimination laws. You can download Barbabosa v. Board of Education here.
The decision provides some much needed guidance to an area that has been increasingly litigated — namely whether a medical leave, above and beyond FMLA leave, is required as a reasonable accommodation.
The background on the case is fairly straightforward and might be familiar to some who have dealt with employees.
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The Conflict between U.S. and Foreign Marijuana Legalization Laws and U.S. Federal Drug and Immigration Laws
The use of legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal in 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and the recreational use of marijuana is legal in 10 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Other U.S. states are currently considering the enactment of similar legalization of marijuana laws. Numerous foreign countries, such as Canada where the Cannabis Act came into effect on October 17, 2018, also have decriminalized marijuana use. However, as a matter of U.S. federal law, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (“CSA”). Therefore, the possession, cultivation, distribution, purchase and sale of marijuana remain illegal under the CSA.
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On April 17, Peter J. Murphy and Gregory A. Jones presented a complimentary webinar on the topic of difficult employees and strategies for managing those individuals. The webinar reviewed various types of difficult behavior, including absenteeism, insubordination, and even violent employees, and gave supervisors strategies for de-escalating tense moments and promoting a healthy atmosphere in
As we enter the spring of 2019, employers should review their employee handbook and personnel policies to ensure that they are in compliance with several new laws and amendments which have recently (or will soon) take effect in New York and New York City.
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Join Shipman & Goodwin labor and employment attorneys Peter Murphy and Greg Jones for this complimentary CLE webinar reviewing effective legal strategies for dealing with difficult employees and the importance of a meaningful approach with regard to employee discipline. Presenters will discuss real life scenarios to aid legal counsel, human resource professionals and supervisory personnel