The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 added several new provisions to the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) which impose new excise taxes on tax-exempt entities. One of these new provisions is Code Section 4960, Tax on Excess Tax-Exempt Executive Compensation. Code Section 4960 imposes excise taxes on certain compensatory payments to certain employees…
The U.S. Constitution protects a government employee from retaliation by his or her governmental employer because the employee exercised rights protected by the First Amendment. Some years ago the Connecticut Legislature decided to extend similar protection to private employment, which is not directly covered by the Constitution. Connecticut General Statute 31-51q prohibits any employer, public…
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 Support A Union”). On its face, this bill appears to be in response to the U.S. Supreme…
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 likely finished up its work for this legislative session and approved a final flurry of bills. The following is…
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 bills that the Committee voted favorably on and advanced out of committee (and which now await action by the full…
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 favorably on and advanced out of committee. MINIMUM WAGE: The Committee advanced out of committee three separate bills…
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 Office Building. There will be a significant emphasis on workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation bills (e.g., workers’ compensation benefits for emotional distress, unemployment compensation…
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 Office Building. Of note is that several of these bills (specifically, H.B. Nos. 5637, 6926, 6930, 6935, and 6936) appear to be in response…
On Thursday, February 14, 2019, the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee will conduct a public hearing on the following proposed bills: S.B. No. 1 AN ACT CONCERNING PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE. Resuscitating a proposal from the most recent legislative sessions, this bill would provide paid family and medical leave benefits to eligible…
The 2018-19 season for certified Connecticut teacher and administrator contract negotiations is just about officially in the books. While a handful of contracts have yet to be reported, this year’s certified negotiation season could end with exactly one true interest arbitration award for certified teacher and administrator bargaining units. The Waterbury teachers’ interest arbitration award…
Employers might welcome a notice of resignation from a troublesome employee as a simple solution to a problem. But what are the ramifications when the employee tries to rescind his resignation? In most cases the better choice will be to reject the rescission and hold the employee to his resignation. Ensuing litigation may have to…
On January 9, the 2019 session of the Connecticut General Assembly began. The session is scheduled to adjourn on June 5, 2019. Numerous proposed bills affecting Connecticut employers and employees will be unleashed during the session, many of which will never see the light of day. The General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee will…
A small business client called on January 2. “Happy New Year,” he said. “What’s the new minimum wage? I have to re-program my payroll.” I was able to give him some good news, for a change. In Connecticut, the minimum wage did not increase on January 1. It remained at $10.10 per hour for most…
At Pullman & Comley’s seminar regarding Developments in Labor & Employment Law last month, attendees at one of the breakout sessions were made aware of a study concerning a recent social and technological phenomenon, that should remind every employer of the importance of properly classifying its workforce as exempt, or non-exempt, under the Fair Labor…
Connecticut companies with employees who work or live in Massachusetts must be aware of a recent Massachusetts law limiting the scope of noncompetition agreements entered into on or after October 1, 2018. What if a Connecticut Employer Specifies that Connecticut Law Applies? The law explicitly provides that a provision mandating the application of a different…
