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On January 6, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont signed bipartisan legislation addressing rates of pay for restaurant workers. The Governor vetoed a previous version of the bill which would have applied retroactively and effectively ended the viability of approximately two dozen pending minimum wage lawsuits. The new law does not apply retroactively, allowing the pending minimum wage suits to proceed.
Continue Reading Governor Lamont Signs Connecticut Restaurant Wage Bill Into Law

For the first time in sixty years, the U.S Department of Labor is substantively revising the regulation that articulates when two people or businesses are “joint employers” of an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  The final version of Joint Employer Status under the FLSA will be published this Thursday, January 16, and is effective on March 16, 2020.  See 29 CFR Part 791.  The unpublished version is available here.  The revisions are meant to “reduce uncertainty over joint employer status, promote greater uniformity among court decisions, reduce litigation, and encourage innovation in the economy.”  Franchise chains, temp agencies, and businesses that outsource their workforces are among those that will benefit from the revised rule.
Continue Reading U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Joint Employer Rule Applicable to Wage and Hour Violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act

The Department of Labor announced its return from winter vacation this week by issuing three new opinion letters.  Two of the letters address Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) payment calculation issues; the other deals with the applicability of the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) to a special health district.
Continue Reading Department of Labor Releases First Three Opinion Letters of 2020

On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final overtime rule as it relates to the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees. The DOL estimates that 1.3 million workers will be eligible for overtime pay as a result of its final rule.  Here is how the new rule will impact workers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
Continue Reading Update: DOL Issues Final Rule On Minimum Salary Threshold for Exempt Employees: The Impact in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York

At long last, the federal Department of Labor has issued its widely anticipated second proposal to raise the minimum salary threshold for employees to qualify for various white collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Following a failed attempt by the Obama-era DOL to set a salary threshold of $47,476, the DOL is setting its sights lower this time around with a proposed $35,308 salary threshold.
Continue Reading Let’s Try That Again: DOL Proposes $35k Salary Threshold for Overtime Exemption

Just as the 2018 legislative session came to a close on the night of July 31, 2018, the Legislature passed a bill reforming the law of noncompetition agreements (“noncompetes”) in Massachusetts.  The bill is being viewed as a compromise following years of unsuccessful efforts to pass noncompete reform.  The governor is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. 
Continue Reading After Years of Debate, Massachusetts Finally Passes Non-Compete Bill