Last week, Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order No. 9K (“Order”) — the 79th such order — rolling back the State’s reopening to “Phase 2.1” effective November 6, 2020. This Order comes in response to the alarming increase of COVID-19 cases statewide and implements mandatory changes to restaurants, event venues, performing arts, movie theaters, and
Earlier in the pandemic, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), which has two main components: the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSLA”) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (“FMLA+”). Shortly before those new provisions became effective, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) provided additional guidance on both the
Across Connecticut, and in other parts of the country, many students are returning to hybrid instructional models this week. This raises the question for employers, including school districts, of whether these schools are “closed” for reasons related to COVID-19 on remote learning days, and, if so, whether employees are entitled to paid Families First Coronavirus
On August 14, 2020, Connecticut issued Executive Order 7NNN which updates and supersedes Executive Order 7BB by requiring medical documentation in order for an individual to claim an exemption from the requirement to wear a mask or face covering in public places, businesses and other workplaces.
The basic mask rule remains unchanged. Any individual in
Following a trend seen in other states, Connecticut’s Governor Ned Lamont on Friday issued a new executive order changing the framework for handling COVID-19-related workers’ compensation cases. The order creates a rebuttable presumption that an employee’s COVID-19 diagnosis from mid-March to mid-May was an “occupational disease arising out of and in the course of employment,”
As the COVID-19 pandemic eases a bit in Connecticut, other states are now seeing record high numbers of cases. As a result, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has issued new Executive Order No. 7BBB mandating that visitors from certain states with high numbers of cases self-quarantine. For employers, this new self-quarantine rule will add still
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued guidance to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the proper use of cloth face masks “at work” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The OSHA guidance must be read in conjunction with any applicable state rules and orders, many of which currently mandate that employees wear a
On June 16, 2020, in anticipation of the Phase Two reopenings of some businesses, Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order 7ZZ repealing some prior orders and issuing new rules for businesses that are allowed to reopen. In doing so, however, Executive Order 7ZZ adds a new complexity to the rules that might be followed.
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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