Connecticut’s anti-discrimination statutes explicitly list sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes, and therefore gay and transgender employees are protected from workplace discrimination by state law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) does not contain such explicit protections, however, and therefore it was unclear whether federal law similarly protected
Over the weekend, Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut issued updated rules to allow for a new series of businesses to reopen on June 17, 2020. These guidelines continue the previously-issued guidance relating to Phase One businesses by providing science-driven directives.
The Governor’s stated goal for this next series of reopenings is to “proactively protect public
On June 1, 2020 Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7UU, which creates mandatory COVID-19 testing requirements for staff working at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and modifies the definition of “suitable work” in the State’s unemployment regulations. Employers should take notice of the potential expansion of the unemployment regulations under this Executive Order.
The
Over the weekend, Governor Ned Lamont issued rules to allow certain Connecticut businesses to reopen on May 20th. These guidelines aim to provide specific, science-driven directives applicable to all open businesses generally and individual sectors specifically.
While the goal of the State’s phased reopening is to “speed up the pace of economic, educational, and community
As we discussed in prior posts, the CARES Act made five significant changes to unemployment benefits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
On April 24, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act (the “Enhancement Act”) was signed into law. The Enhancement Act increases the amount of funds appropriated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) by providing an additional $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), $50 billion for
As most employers know by now, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) has two main components: the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSLA”) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (“EFMLEA” or “FMLA+”). The United States Department of Labor (“USDOL”) has recently provided additional guidance on how an employer’s leave policies interact
Late Tuesday, April 21, 2020, Connecticut updated its Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employers yet again, tweaking the rules on masks in the workplace that had been put in place just days earlier.
The modifications by the Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”) reduce the need for employees to wear a mask or face
Late Friday, April 17, 2020, the Department of Economic and Community Development issued updated Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employers and updated Essential Safe Store Rules, requiring masks or cloth face-coverings be worn by customers and employees effective immediately.
The new rules expand the requirement of masks in the workplace. Previously, the rules
If you didn’t know about Connecticut’s Shared Work Program before the pandemic, you weren’t the only one. Over the last few years, only a small handful of employers statewide had even taken advantage of the program. Since the start of the pandemic, however, over 700 employers have applied for the program and over 500 of