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
There are less than 30 days until the October 1, 2020* deadline for Connecticut employers to complete sexual harassment prevention training for all employees – supervisory and non-supervisory – as mandated by the Connecticut Times Up Act.
Don’t wait until it’s too late – register your workforce for training today! This comprehensive training will
On Friday, August 28, the IRS released Notice 2020-65 (the “Notice”), which provides limited guidance to employers considering whether and how to implement the President’s August 8 Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster (the “Memorandum”). The Memorandum had directed the Secretary of the Treasury
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,”
On July 8, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that teachers of religious instruction at private religious schools are barred from bringing employment discrimination claims against their employer. In doing so, the Court clarified and expanded upon the “ministerial exception” previously articulated by the Court in 2012. In 2012, the Court had recognized that religious
Pro Bono legal assistance is available for small businesses or non-profits with 25 or fewer employees in Connecticut. As part of the nationwide program organized by Lawyers for Good Government, the Connecticut COVID-19 Small Business Virtual Legal Clinic was created and its mission is to help Connecticut’s entrepreneurs and small businesses that have suffered adversely
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