The state of Connecticut has strict rules and procedures for dealing with employment-related grievances through arbitration. For this reason, parties cannot postpone arbitration without just cause. If you are party to an employment dispute, and you wish to delay arbitration, you must have the grounds to do so and abide by the rules and procedures for postponement.
According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, to successfully postpone arbitration in Connecticut, the requesting party must submit a request for postponement to the other party within 15 days of the hearing. If the opposing party agrees to the delay, both parties must agree to and confirm a new hearing date and notify the case manager. The new hearing date must be at least three months, but no longer than six months, from the date of the original hearing. The same rules and procedures apply in expedited and priority cases.
In the event that one or both parties cannot agree on postponement or a new hearing date within 15 days of arbitration, or if they fail to notify the case manager of the change, the requesting party must prove that there exists sufficient cause for delay. Sufficient cause includes one or more of the following:
- Death or illness of a party of arbitration
- Previously scheduled vacation
- Unavailability of the spokesperson handling the case due to a required court appearance
- Previously scheduled interest arbitration hearing
Regardless of the reason for postponement, all requests for delay must come with written documentation proving the need for a deferment. If a party requests postponement for any reason not mentioned above, the board will contact the non-requesting party for permission to delay arbitration. If a party requests postponement for a valid reason and the board approves it, the board will then notify all involved parties that it has granted a postponement.
You should not use this article as legal advice. It is for educational purposes only.