Recent Articles

Hartford-Area Businesses Ban Smoking on Company Premises: The Law on Workplace Smoking

Daniel Schwartz

November 21, 2008 11:09

This week, word came down that several Hartford-area companies were implementing a ban on smoking anywhere on company premises. This means outside areas on the campuses of these businesses, and the parking lots as well.  Previously, employees could smoke in designated areas outside various...

Can Bonuses Be "Wages" Under Connecticut State Law? Sometimes, Says Appellate Court

Daniel Schwartz

November 20, 2008 13:12

Yesterday, I discussed the employment contract portion of a new Appellate Court case, Ziotas v. The Reardon Law Firm (download here).  Today, I'll discuss the second part of the court's decision on whether the associate's bonus could be said to be "wages". Why is this important?...

Appellate Court Upholds Judgment Against Lawfirm for Its Employment Contract With Associate

Daniel Schwartz

November 19, 2008 21:38

In a decision released today, the Connecticut Appellate Court upheld a lower court judgment that found that a local lawfirm breached its employment contract to an associate by failing to pay that associate a bonus. It's rare to see lawfirms involved in employment disputes, and even rarer, to have...

What Employers Need to Know About the New FMLA Regulations - Part II

Daniel Schwartz

November 19, 2008 13:45

Continuing my series of looking at the new FMLA regulations (part one can be found here), this post will address some of the issues regarding "serious health conditions", light duty work, medical certifications, paid leave, perfect attendance and waivers of claims. Serious Health...

E-mail Subscriptions Back Up and Running

Daniel Schwartz

November 18, 2008 22:18

While there are hundreds (and some days, thousands!) of you readers out there each day who find this blog via the internet or RSS feeds, there are many that have signed up via e-mail.  However, due to a glitch, it's come to my attention that those e-mails have not...

New FMLA Regulations - What Employers Need to Know - Part I

Daniel Schwartz

November 18, 2008 13:51

As I reported on Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor has released final regulations implementing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).  The regulations (which you can dowload here) become effective on January 16, 2009.  At 750 pages, you need a book just to summarize the changes...

Firefighters Look to U.S. Supreme Court To Overturn Second Circuit Case

Daniel Schwartz

November 18, 2008 11:09

Earlier this year, a case out of New Haven caused quite a stir at the Second Circuit when it addressed (or, as some people believe, failed to address) a reverse discrimination case.  Now, word comes that the firefighters who lost the case are seeking to have the U.S. Supreme Court decide the...