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
Minimum Wage
Revised Sexual Harassment Law and Minimum Wage Increase Take Effect October 1, 2019
Effective October 1, 2019, Connecticut increased the minimum wage and implemented extensive revisions to existing sexual harassment laws. Below is a brief summary of the changes. As always, Murtha employment lawyers are available to discuss these new laws and how they may affect your organization.
Changes to Connecticut Sexual Harassment LawsContinue Reading Revised Sexual Harassment Law and Minimum Wage Increase Take Effect October 1, 2019
Connecticut Senate Passes Bill to Raise Minimum Wage to $15
By Salvatore G. Gangemi on
Posted in Employment Law
State senators voted early this morning to raise Connecticut’s hourly minimum wage to $15.00 by June 1, 2023 in a plan that involves five annual increases. House Bill 5004, “An Act Increasing the Minimum Fair Wage,” was proposed to provide more economic security to Connecticut families by increasing the minimum fair wage.
Continue Reading Connecticut Senate Passes Bill to Raise Minimum Wage to $15
Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage and Passes Paid Family and Medical Leave Law
By Salvatore G. Gangemi & Madiha M. Malik on
Posted in Employment Law, Paid Family Medical Leave
On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill titled “An Act Relative to Minimum Wage, Paid Family Medical Leave, and the Sales Tax Holiday” (H.4640). The new law, dubbed the “Grand Bargain,” implements incremental increases in Massachusetts’ minimum wage over the next five years, and creates a new paid family and medical leave program in the Commonwealth. A full text of the bill can be found here.
Minimum Wage Increase
The law increases the minimum wage from $11.00 to $15.00 over the course of five years. In 2019, the minimum wage will increase from $11.00 to $12.00. Thereafter, it will continue to increase each year in $0.75 increments until it reaches $15 in 2023. The Grand Bargain also results in a five-year phase out of the requirement of premium pay for hours worked on Sunday.
Tipped employees will also receive a boost from the current $3.75/hour tipped minimum wage, which will increase by $0.60 increments each year until 2023 when the tipped minimum wage will be $6.75/hour.
Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
Reflecting a nationwide trend, the law establishes a Paid Family and Medical Leave program to take effect on January 1, 2021. The program will entitle eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave, with a maximum of 26 combined weeks of paid leave in the same year.
Individuals eligible for leave include employees, self-employed individuals, and certain former employees. The program will be funded by employers and employees through a payroll tax.
Continue Reading Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage and Passes Paid Family and Medical Leave Law