Readers of this blog have seen several posts on the topic of pregnancy discrimination. In the last couple of weeks, the following additional developments concerning the topic have occurred...more
As we promised previously, we will be keeping you up to date with developments in the General Assembly. The following is an update as to where we stand on labor and employment related legislation....more
Our state has a comprehensive requirement for certain employees (particularly in the medical and educational spheres) to make reports to the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) of suspected child abuse and neglect. ...more
School districts usually deny requests to view school video recordings, such as security tapes, in light of concerns about the privacy rights of students featured on these recordings. In a recent decision, the Freedom of...more
11/13/2014
/ Disclosure ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FOIA ,
FOIC ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Media ,
Privacy Laws ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Video Recordings
This author wrote previously on the status of sexual harassment investigations under the Freedom of Information Act [”FOIA”]. In a case that has grabbed some notoriety; the Freedom of Information Commission [“FOIC”] has...more
Police reports are a practical tool for school districts in investigating (and countering) both student and employee misconduct. The Connecticut Supreme Court has resolved an intense debate about what law enforcement...more
Investigations in the public sector confront the competing demands of employee privacy rights and the public’s “right to know” under the Freedom of Information Act [“FOIA”]. Another decision by the Freedom of Information...more
9/23/2014
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Discrimination ,
Due Process ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
FOIA ,
Harassment ,
Internal Investigations ,
Invasion of Privacy ,
Law Enforcement ,
Personnel Records ,
Public Entities
A typical part of a contentious employment termination matter is the inevitable unemployment compensation claim. While a multiplicity of claims may emanate from the ugliness of job separation, the Connecticut courts...more
When entering into contacts with vendors, school districts hope that 1) the vendor will comply with the law, and 2) in any event, the vendor will be responsible for its own employment-related disputes. In Varley v. Regional...more
Lawyers like to believe that arbitration decisions concerning employee discipline should be made in accordance with the law and the applicable collective bargaining agreement, not solely by an arbitrator’s personal notions of...more
The situation that is at the epicenter of a recent controversy involving a Pier 1 employee, and a recent Connecticut federal court case, arises in the context of a pregnant employee being unable to carry out essential job...more
Employers who have been through an investigation by the Connecticut Department of Labor Wage & Workplace Standards Division unfortunately have intimate knowledge of the potential burdens of defending against employee wage...more
The 2014 session of the Connecticut General Assembly has just concluded. The following is a cursory description of bills that were passed by the General Assembly that may be of interest. A more detailed summary of these...more
On April 23, 2014, the Connecticut Senate approved Senate Bill No. 317, “An Act Concerning Employee Privacy.” This bill would generally prohibit employers from requiring employees (or job applicants) to provide passwords or...more
In representing primarily public sector bodies over most of my career, I have generally been in a position of advising clients in how to comply with Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) requests, and thus usually assist those...more