Many would consider a secret ballot election by a group of employees seeking to organize into a union an example of democracy at work. In a union election, the employees hear from union representatives touting the benefits of unionization, while the employer gets an opportunity to inform the workers, within lawful means, about why unionization […]
Reminder – Connecticut employers must begin paying $14 per hour to their employees, effective July 1, 2022. For hotel and restaurant employees who normally receive sufficient gratuities, the employer must pay at least $6.38 per hour ($8.23 for bartenders) under the new minimum wage, but the employee must still make at least $14 per hour […]
The General Assembly passed “An Act Protecting Employee Freedom of Speech and Conscience,” allowing employees to refuse to be subjected to political and religious messaging from their employers. The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Lamont. The legislation provides that employers may not discipline, discharge, or threaten to discipline or discharge any employee […]
Juneteenth is slated to become a state holiday in Connecticut starting in 2023. Although prior efforts had failed, the General Assembly recently passed a bill to elevate Juneteenth from a commemorative day to a state holiday. Support was nearly unanimous, with the bill passing in the House by a vote of 148-1 and in the […]
Employers trying to enforce attendance policies confront a poker hand of laws that protect the rights of employees to different types of work leave. Indeed, an employee out on leave can be eligible for various types of leave including Workers Compensation, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Connecticut FMLA, the Americans with Disabilities […]
The State Board of Labor Relations (SBLR) recently addressed the issue of whether the pandemic and the federal, state, or local mandates imposed as a result of the pandemic dispense with an employer’s duty to bargain over a change in working conditions. In a case decided on March 3, 2022, the SBLR found that, although […]
It is a common misunderstanding that the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) only applies to unionized employers. It doesn’t – and being unaware of that fact can lead to increased liability and substantial costs. The heart of the NLRA is Section 7, which provides employees “the right to self organization, to form, join, or assist […]
At the end of 2021, the State Board of Labor Relations (SBLR) issued a decision that serves as an important and cautionary reminder to take seriously the prohibition against direct dealing and union retaliation. The Municipal Employee Relations Act (MERA), like many collective bargaining statutes across the country, prohibits an employer from negotiating terms or […]
Continuing the trend in an already pro-union state, the General Assembly is considering a “captive audience” bill which would outlaw “captive audience” meetings by employers in response to union organizing efforts. For decades, federal and state law has permitted employers to hold mandatory meetings during work hours where they would have an opportunity to explain […]
In an effort to remove clouds of secrecy that may surround sexual misconduct claims, Congress recently passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (“the Act”). Arbitration is typically a confidential process, while court proceedings are public. To bring more sexual misconduct claims into public forums, this Act amends the Federal […]
