All of us are, of course, concerned about what “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19) will mean for each of us, our families, schools, workplaces, and our communities. As employers, we must hope for the best, but prepare for...more
3/6/2020
/ Best Practices ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Telecommuting ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On February 5, 2020, the 2020 session of the Connecticut General Assembly began. The session is scheduled to adjourn on May 6, 2020. Numerous proposed bills affecting Connecticut’s schools will be unleashed during the...more
2/21/2020
/ Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Religious Exemption ,
Rulemaking Process ,
School Safety ,
Security Standards ,
Special Education ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations
On February 5, 2020, the 2020 session of the Connecticut General Assembly began. The session is scheduled to adjourn on May 6, 2020. Numerous proposed bills affecting Connecticut employers and employees will be unleashed...more
2/18/2020
/ #MeToo ,
ADEA ,
Age Discrimination ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Attendance ,
Criminal Records ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Contract ,
General Assembly ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Regulations ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
On-Call Employees ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
Both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and its Connecticut counterpart provide eligible employees with leave to care for a covered family member (such as a child) who has a “serious health condition.” ...more
Governor Lamont signs House Bill 7501 into law on January 6, 2020.
As we say goodbye to 2019 (and await commencement of the 2020 session of the Connecticut General Assembly in February), the General Assembly via a “Special...more
1/9/2020
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
General Assembly ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Special Sessions ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Among other things, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) grants parents access to educational and related records concerning their child. Under FERPA, “education records” are broadly defined as...more
12/24/2019
/ Electronic Communications ,
Electronic Records ,
Email ,
FERPA ,
FOIA ,
Invasion of Privacy ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
Student Privacy ,
Student Records ,
Students
Do We Really Have To Deal With All of These FOIA Requests (And Are We Obliged To Deal With “Vexatious Requesters”)? -
As an attorney representing school districts and other public agencies, I often hear from folks who are...more
A common view has been that in the absence of a quorum, a “meeting” of a public agency that would be subject to Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) cannot occur. For example, the Connecticut Appellate Court...more
As you are aware from these pages, Connecticut’s General Assembly produced a plethora of bills affecting the schools during its 2019 regular session. As they say in late night TV infomercials, yes, there’s more. In a brief...more
The 2019 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on June 5, 2019. The legislature passed significant labor and employment legislation that addressed, inter alia, remedies for sexual harassment and...more
In these pages, we recently wrote about the passage of several bills of great import from the recently concluded 2019 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly addressing (paid) family and medical leave, sexual...more
The 2019 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on June 5, 2019. In light of the passage of several bills of great import (e.g., paid family and medical leave – along with other changes to the state’s...more
We are approaching a time of year where a board of education may have to deal with its long time and (hopefully) beloved superintendent deciding to retire or otherwise move on to another chapter in his or her life. Any...more
As you are aware from our prior posts, the General Assembly’s Education Committee has been quite busy during the 2019 legislative session. Racing ahead of its deadline, the Committee has approved a final set of bills at its...more
At its March 21, 2019 meeting, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee voted favorably on and advanced out of committee House Bill No. 6935 (“An Act Concerning The Right Of A Public Employee To Join Or...more
At its March 25, 2019 meeting, the General Assembly’s Education Committee continued its hyperkinetic work by approving another flurry of bills. The following is a brief summary of the bills that the Committee voted favorably...more
As you are aware from our prior posts, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee has been quite busy if not hyperactive during the 2019 legislative session. At its March 21, 2019 meeting, the Committee...more
At its March 6, 2019 and March 15, 2019 meetings, the General Assembly’s Education Committee began the process of approving bills. The following is a brief discussion and summary of the bills that the Committee voted...more
At its March 19, 2019 meeting, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee approved a plethora of bills, with a concentration on expanding various employee rights. The following is a brief summary of the...more
At its February 19, 2019 and March 14, 2019 meetings, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee began the process of approving bills. The following is a brief summary of the bills that the Committee voted...more
On Friday, March 1, 2019, the General Assembly’s Education Committee will conduct a public hearing, which will take place at 11:00 A.M. in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building. A particular focus of this hearing will...more
On Tuesday, February 26, 2019, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee will conduct a public hearing on numerous proposed bills. The hearing will take place at 12:00 P.M. in Room 1B of the Legislative...more
On Friday, February 22, 2019, the General Assembly’s Education Committee will conduct a public hearing on numerous proposed bills. The hearing will take place at 11:00 A.M. in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building. Of...more
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee will conduct a public hearing on numerous proposed bills. The hearing will take place at 2:30 P.M. in Room 2C of the Legislative...more
2/20/2019
/ Arbitration Awards ,
Domestic Workers ,
General Assembly ,
Mediation ,
Partial Disability ,
Public Hearing ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Solar Energy ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies
On Thursday, February 14, 2019, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee will conduct a public hearing on the following proposed bills...more
2/13/2019
/ Direct Deposit ,
Disability ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
General Assembly ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Public Hearing ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Substance Abuse ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Opportunity Tax Credit