More than a year has passed since the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held in its April 2024 decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, Missouri, 601 U.S. 346, 144 S. Ct. 967, 218 L. Ed. 2d 322 (2024) that employees need only...more
The EEOC and Department of Justice have weighed in on DEI in the workplace.
In two guidance documents, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) presented its stance for employers to steer clear of illegal...more
3/26/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
New Guidance ,
Title VII
The Labor and Employment Team at Harris Beach Murtha invites you to join us for discussion of critical labor and employment law developments. Our first session will cover President Trump’s First 100 Days – Labor and...more
3/25/2025
/ Continuing Legal Education ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Enforcement ,
NLRB ,
Trump Administration ,
Webinars
On August 2, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) adopted a new standard for assessing whether workplace rules, including policies found in handbooks, infringe upon employees’ rights under Section 7 of the National...more
On May 18, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued a non-binding “technical assistance” document that offers employers guidance on the applicability of Title VII to the use of artificial...more
5/24/2023
/ Algorithms ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Disparate Impact ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Guidance ,
Title VII
On March 22, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB”) General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo issued Memorandum GC 23-05 (the “Memo”), which provides additional guidance on the recent NLRB decision in McLaren Macomb, 372...more
On February 21, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued a decision that returns to previous precedent, holding that employers may not offer employees severance agreements that require employees to...more
3/16/2023
/ Confidentiality Agreements ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Release Agreements ,
Section 7 ,
Separation Agreement ,
Severance Agreements ,
Termination ,
Waivers
On May 17, 2022, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law the so-called “captive audience” bill (Senate Bill 163), which prohibits employers from requiring their employees to (a) attend employer-sponsored meetings that...more
On March 3, 2022, President Biden signed into law the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021” (the “Act”). The Act, which takes effect immediately, amends the Federal Arbitration Act...more
On January 25, 2022, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that local fitness centers violated Connecticut’s nondiscrimination statute by maintaining a separate workout area for women only.
Two male Complainants, members...more
On January 13, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision blocking the Biden administration from enforcing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) rule mandating...more
1/14/2022
/ Administrative Authority ,
Biden Administration ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Lack of Authority ,
National Federation of Independent Business v Department of Labor and OSHA ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS ,
Stays ,
Temporary Regulations ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor (“OSHA”), issued its long-awaited Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”), applicable to employers with at least 100...more
11/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Preemption ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Temporary Regulations ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On Thursday, September 9, 2021, President Joe Biden announced new COVID-19 vaccine mandates requiring all employers with 100+ employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly.
In addition, the vaccine...more
9/10/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Response ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Temporary Regulations ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On March 4, 2021, Governor Lamont signed into law the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair. Connecticut follows California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Washington,...more
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) became law on March 18, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we previously blogged on several (okay, numerous) occasions, the FFCRA comprises the Emergency Paid...more
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has issued new guidance stating that employers cannot require employees to undergo antibody or serology testing to determine whether employees were previously infected with...more
On May 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education issued long-awaited final regulations governing sexual misconduct in education under Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in programs that receive federal funding....more
5/13/2020
/ Colleges ,
Dear Colleague Letter ,
Department of Education ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Educational Institutions ,
Federal Funding ,
Gender-Based Violence ,
OCR ,
Rape ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Violence Policies ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Universities
The wait is over. Since the announcement that certain Connecticut businesses would be permitted to reopen beginning May 20, 2020, most have waited with bated breath to understand what that process would and should look like....more
On Friday, April 17, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance on COVID-19 issues and equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. The easy to read Q&A format is necessary reading for...more
For the last several weeks, the Department of Labor has periodically updated its Families First Coronavirus Response Act: (FFCRA) “Questions and Answers” page by illustrating real-world applications of the FFCRA. ...more
Effective April 20, 2020 at 8:00 p.m., employees in the workplace are required to wear a face mask or cloth face covering. Governor Lamont issued this directive as part of Executive Order No. 7BB, which also requires...more
On Friday, April 17, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance on COVID-19 issues and equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. The easy to read Q&A format is necessary reading for...more
The Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) recently extended the deadline for employers to conduct mandatory sexual harassment training by 90 days. The extension applies to employees hired after the...more
On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7V, ordering Connecticut employers to take “additional protective measures to reduce the risk” of COVID-19 transmission. The Department of Economic and...more
The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act’s (“FFCRA”) swift enactment left employers scrambling to interpret its provisions. Fortunately, the Department of Labor has issued temporary regulations that resolve many common...more